A powerful storm system has unleashed severe weather across the southeastern United States, triggering tornado warnings in Mississippi and Louisiana before advancing towards parts of Georgia and Florida. This turbulent weather front arrives as the Northeast enjoys a welcome reprieve from weeks of bitterly cold temperatures.
The most intense storms were reported near Lake Charles, Louisiana, where high winds from a thunderstorm caused significant disruption. A horse trailer and a Mardi Gras float were overturned, an airport jet bridge sustained damage and a metal awning was ripped from a house, landing in power lines. These incidents were documented by National Weather Service employees who surveyed the area.
Further reports from the weather service indicated snapped and toppled power poles near the Louisiana towns of Jena, Cheneyville, and Donaldsonville.
While no fatalities or serious injuries have been reported, the storm system continues its trajectory, placing parts of south Georgia and the Florida Panhandle under tornado watches throughout Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Northeast was beginning to thaw after a weeks-long stretch of uncommonly cold weather.
Boston was running nearly 7 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 14 Celsius) below average for February by midweek, and the city was on pace for its coldest winter in more than a decade. Boston remained cold on Sunday, but the week’s forecast called for temperatures climbing into the high 30s and low 40s, which is closer to the seasonal average.
Elsewhere in the U.S., parts of California were bracing for showers, thunderstorms and snow showers. Jacob Spender, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento, said a storm system was moving on shore in California throughout Sunday and through the week.
Heavy snow was forecast for elevated areas, Spender said.
“As we get up into the mountains and the foothills, we’re going to be looking at some snowfall,” Spender said. “So there will be snowfall all the way down into the foothills as well.”
Spender said people should heed travel advisories in the coming days.
“So if they are traveling, packing winter safety kits. Anything to be prepared. This is a bigger system, and a major system,” Spender said.
