Mississippi Storm Damage: Tornadoes Destroy Houses, Casualities Reported

Severe thunderstorms swept through Mississippi on Thursday, causing extensive damage across the state. The storms knocked down trees and utility poles, leaving 50,000 people without power.

The storms turned deadly after two people were reported dead. While a man was killed in Neshoba County after a tree fell on his car, another woman was killed after her car crashed while she was driving in the storm. The identities of the victims were not revealed. Two more people were reportedly injured after a power pole fell on two vehicles. A school bus was also reportedly trapped between fallen trees, but the driver and children were reported safe.

National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters said multiple tornadoes hit central and southwest Mississippi on Thursday afternoon, however, the total extent of the damage was not known. A tornado was confirmed at the town of Clinton, which resulted in several cars lying scattered at a Walmart parking lot. The town was also under flood warning following heavy rain. A tornado also moved through Morton, damaging several homes.

Over a dozen school districts in the state declared holiday Thursday because of the severe weather. Several colleges and universities, including the East Central Community College and Mississippi State University, were closed early, the Weather Channel reported.

The storms also swept through Louisiana on Thursday afternoon, resulting in tornado and flash flood warnings across the region. Over 6,000 homes remained without power as of Thursday night. All the state offices were closed and several school districts canceled classes because of the weather. The Louisiana State University was also closed.

The weather outbreak began Wednesday afternoon after a line of vigorous thunderstorms battered Texas and Oklahoma. Though no casualties were reported, several people were injured. Two people were rushed to hospital after heavy winds knocked a mobile home off its foundation in Buffalo, Texas. A downed power line caused a house fire in Houston. Texas also witnessed golf-ball-sized hail that cracked windshields and windows. Hundreds of American and Southwest Airlines flights were canceled in Texas. Over 22,000 homes were without power as of Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma witnessed a rare phenomenon called twin tornadoes, in which two tornadoes appear beside each other at the same time, which destroyed multiple houses in Shattuck.

The storm is now moving toward the southeast Atlantic Coast states and is expected to cause extensive damage.

"The greatest risk of severe weather is in the Gulf Coast states today and in the Southeast Atlantic Coast states from Virginia to Florida on Friday," the NWS said in statement Thursday.