Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2 as storm system moves across southern U.S.
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Officials were beginning to assess the damage on Sunday after a strong storm system moved across the southeastern U.S. over the weekend, killing at least two people when tornadoes touched down in Texas and Mississippi. The line of severe weather led to about 40 tornado reports from southeastern Texas to Alabama, National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira said, but those reports remain unconfirmed until damage surveys are completed.
“It’s not unheard of, but it is fairly uncommon to have a severe weather outbreak of this magnitude this late in the year,” he said. The storms will continue to slide east until they eventually move offshore, meaning severe weather risks will dwindle into Sunday evening.
In the Houston area, National Weather Service crews planned to conduct surveys Sunday for at least five tornados that hit north and south of the city on Saturday. At least one person died. The 48-year-old woman killed was found about 100 feet (30 meters) from her home in the Liverpool area, located south of Houston, said Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office. She said the exact cause of death wasn't immediately known.
Four other people in Brazoria County suffered injuries that weren't considered critical, said Polston, who added that at least 40 homes and buildings were significantly damaged in the county. In Mississippi, one person died in Adams County and two people were injured in Franklin County, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
