Tornadoes Strike Louisiana, Killing At Least 3, Destroying Multiple Homes

Several tornadoes hit Louisiana Wednesday, killing at least three people, including an eight-year-old, and destroying multiple homes.

In St. Charles Parish, 56-year-old Allison Alexander was confirmed dead after a tornado hit Schoolhouse Road in Killona, according to Fox 8. The Louisiana Department of Health noted that the tornado destroyed her home.

UPDATE: LDH has confirmed that a 56-year-old female in St. Charles Parish died after a tornado destroyed her house in the Killona area. This brings the total number of confirmed Louisiana storm-related deaths due to this storm event to 3 at this time. pic.twitter.com/52DnmstjvU

— Louisiana Department of Health (@LADeptHealth) December 14, 2022

Residents along Schoolhouse Road reported extensive damage in the area, including flipped mobile homes, downed power lines, and scattered debris. Approximately 15 to 20 homes were destroyed in Killona, and multiple residents sought treatment at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials via ABC News.

“This community got hit really hard during Ida,” St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said. “They didn’t need this again.”

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) offered condolences to those affected by the storms in St. Charles Parish and across the state.

“The families of the injured and lost in St. Charles Parish are in our prayers tonight. Today has been incredibly hard for the good people of our state,” Kennedy said.

Earlier Wednesday, Yoshiko A. Smith, 30, and her son, Nikolus Little, 8, were confirmed to have died due to tornado-related weather in Keithville, according to the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. Smith was found dead one street over from where her home was destroyed, and Nikolus was found dead in a wooded area.

Smith and her son died due to blunt force trauma injuries, the state’s health department confirmed. Their home was also destroyed.

At least three tornadoes were reported to have touched down in southeast Louisiana Wednesday as severe storm weather battered the state.

NBC affiliate WDSU captured footage of a large tornado striking the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans.

This is unreal.
For the second time this year, WDSU's Tower Camera has captured a large tornado on the ground in the Lower Ninth Ward and Arabi. Our hearts are broken. pic.twitter.com/J7wnMu51U0

— wdsu (@wdsu) December 14, 2022

Over 50,000 people did not have power Wednesday evening in Louisiana and Mississippi, according to poweroutage.us. That number was less than 10,000 as of Thursday.

At least 49 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. Southeast Wednesday, including in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, CNN reported.

The severe weather is expected to continue Thursday, as the NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center issued a Tornado Watch for residents in central Florida at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.