A severe storm system swept through the southern United States over the weekend, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least four individuals and significant damage from tornadoes across multiple states. Assessments of the destruction began on Sunday, as officials reported at least 45 instances of tornado-related damage in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. Meteorologist Brian Hurley indicated that teams will conduct investigations to confirm the tornado occurrences.
The storms coincided with busy holiday travel, causing hazardous conditions on the roads and leading to numerous delays and cancellations at major airports throughout the U.S. By Sunday afternoon, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported over 600 flight delays as tracked by FlightAware.
“It’s not typical, but outbreaks of severe weather like this can happen late in the year,” noted Frank Pereira, another meteorologist from the Weather Prediction Center. In the Houston region, officials from the National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down both north and south of the city on Saturday.
The storms claimed the life of a 48-year-old woman found approximately 100 feet from her home in the Liverpool area south of Houston, as reported by Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office. The specific cause of her death has not yet been determined. Additionally, four others suffered non-critical injuries, and substantial damage was inflicted upon at least 40 homes and buildings in the vicinity.
In Montgomery County, which lies north of Houston, approximately 30 residences were destroyed, with around 50 other buildings suffering severe damage, stated county official Jason Smith.
The storm also impacted North Carolina, where a 70-year-old man tragically lost his life in Statesville when a tree fell onto his vehicle. Highway Patrol Trooper DJ Maffucci described the incident as “a freak accident,” confirming that the victim, identified as Matthew Teeple from Cleveland, North Carolina, likely died on impact.
Mississippi reported two fatalities due to the storms; an 18-year-old girl died Saturday evening after a tree crashed onto her home in Natchez, and further injuries were reported among other occupants. Another individual also lost their life in Lowndes County, with at least eight additional injuries noted across the state.
The National Weather Service confirmed tornado activity in the areas of Bude and Brandon, causing roofs to be ripped off several structures. In Athens, Alabama, situated northwest of Huntsville, significant storm damage was reported, particularly in the downtown area, where heavy HVAC units were blown off rooftops, and the roof of a bookstore was torn away. One striking incident involved a military helicopter that was uprooted from its display position.
Downgrade to morning storms, Holly Hollman, a city spokeswoman, stated, “I stepped out on my porch and could hear it roar. We are fortunate that the storm hit late; otherwise, injuries or fatalities could have occurred.”
By Sunday afternoon, utility tracking indicated that over 40,000 residents in Mississippi were without power, while around 10,000 customers faced outages in Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia. The storm also led to road closures in western North Carolina, a region still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene earlier this fall, with sections of U.S. 441 temporarily closed due to high winds.
In Bumpus Cove, Tennessee, the president of Raising Hope Disaster Relief, Justin Fromkin, was busy salvaging supplies from an aid tent that had been compromised by approximately 6 inches of rain that fell on Sunday. For months, Fromkin has been delivering assistance to areas in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee that are still affected by Hurricane Helene, noting that the ground remains unstable and the latest rain presents additional challenges.
