Tornadoes leave people ‘trapped in their homes’ in Louisiana
More than 57,000 homes in Louisiana and 48,000 homes in Texas are without power
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Tornadoes have wreaked a destructive path across parts of Louisiana and Texas, trapping some people in their homes.
The National Weather Service reported on Tuesday that twisters had struck north of the city of Austin, Texas, and over the state border in Bossier City and Shreveport, Louisiana.
One of those tornadoes swept near the historic village of Salado, Texas on Tuesday evening, damaging homes in rural areas of Bell County between Waco and Austin, said County Judge David Blackburn.
Photos and videos on social media showed grapefruit-size hail from the storm pounding the area. Images also showed mobile homes crushed by trees felled during the tornado. While a number of residents were trapped, there were no reports of injuries.
More than 57,000 homes in Louisiana and 48,000 homes in Texas are without power on Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.US. The storm was part of a system of severe storms extending from Austin to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The National Weather Service in Little Rock, Arkanas reported strong storms moving across the state on Wednesday morning, with potential for damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes.
There is much debate among scientists on whether the climate crisis is playing a role in tornado outbreaks.
Twisters are tricky to study partly because they are relatively short-lived. In the years before cell phones, data largely relied on people spotting tornadoes and calling them into the National Weather Service.
However the body of research is growing. A study in 2014 from the National Severe Storms Laboratory found that in the past 50 years, clusters of tornadoes have become more common.
A separate 2018 study found that over the past four decades, America’s “Tornado Alley” appears to be shifting towards the East Coast, away from typical paths through Kansas and Oklahoma.
AP contributed to this report
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments