A powerful storm system swept through the southern United States over the weekend, leaving a trail of devastation, including tornadoes, widespread damage, and at least four fatalities. Officials assessed the aftermath on Sunday, as severe weather disrupted holiday travel and caused hazardous conditions on roads and in the air.
Tornadoes Strike Multiple States
The National Weather Service reported at least 45 instances of tornado damage across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. Meteorologists will conduct surveys to confirm the tornadoes, which struck in a rare late-year outbreak.
“It’s not unheard of, but it is fairly uncommon to have a severe weather outbreak of this magnitude this late in the year,” said Frank Pereira of the Weather Prediction Center.
In the Houston area, five tornadoes were confirmed on Saturday, hitting communities both north and south of the city. A 48-year-old woman in Liverpool, Texas, was found dead approximately 100 feet from her home, while at least 40 homes and buildings sustained major damage. Nearby in Montgomery County, 30 homes were destroyed, and another 50 were heavily damaged.
Tragedy Across State Lines
In North Carolina, a 70-year-old man died when a tree fell on his pickup truck in Statesville. Trooper DJ Maffucci described the accident as “a freak event,” adding that downed trees and wrecks were common in the storm’s wake.
Mississippi bore the brunt of the damage, with two fatalities and multiple injuries reported. In Adams County, an 18-year-old woman was killed when a tree crashed onto her home, while another person died in Lowndes County. Eight others sustained injuries as tornadoes ripped through the towns of Bude and Brandon, tearing roofs from buildings.
Communities Reeling from Storm Impact
In Alabama, downtown Athens suffered significant damage, with roofs torn from buildings and a military helicopter display toppled by strong winds. Holly Hollman, a city spokesperson, described hearing the storm’s roar from her porch. “We’re extremely lucky this hit late at night. During the day, we could have had more injuries or fatalities,” she said.
The storms also battered Tennessee and North Carolina, regions still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene earlier in the year. In western North Carolina, high winds forced the closure of U.S. 441, while in Tennessee, heavy rain added to already unstable ground conditions.
Power Outages and Travel Chaos
The storms caused power outages affecting over 40,000 residents in Mississippi, with additional outages reported in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. Holiday travel was severely impacted, with more than 600 flight delays reported at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
As communities begin to clean up, emergency crews continue to assess the extent of the damage. For residents like Justin Fromkin of Raising Hope Disaster Relief, who has been aiding hurricane-affected regions, the storms are yet another hurdle in an already challenging year. “The ground is still unstable from Helene, and now this adds to the problem,” Fromkin said.
The southern U.S. faces a long road to recovery as residents grapple with the storm’s devastating impact.
