Deadly Winter Storm and Tornadoes Hit US

A fierce winter storm has left a trail of destruction across the southern US, devastating communities and killing three people in Louisiana.

The weather has also left tens of thousands without power across six states.

To the east, an estimated 11 million people in Florida and Georgia are still facing the threat of tornadoes.

The storm system also brought ‘blizzard-like’ conditions to the Midwest.

In Louisiana, officials have so far confirmed three deaths and dozens of injuries as a result of the storm. In one incident, a 56-year-old woman in St Charles Parish near New Orleans was killed after a tornado destroyed her home.

Communities across the state reported severe damage, including ‘downed power lines’ and collapsed buildings. In Jefferson Parish – a suburb of New Orleans – the sheriff’s office said that homes and businesses in the area had “suffered catastrophic damage.”

One Louisiana resident, Michael Willis, told the BBC’s US partner CBS that a close encounter with a tornado near the town of Harvey was “the scariest thing” he has ever experienced.

The tornado lifted him up while he was sitting in his car, a large SUV, while debris smashed through his windshield and passenger window.

“It happened fast,” he said. “I’m looking at wood, buildings, all in the same spin, like it’s spinning with me and then it just slung me out.”

Earlier, Louisiana health officials confirmed that a 30-year-old woman and her eight-year-old son were found dead in Caddo Parish in the northwest corner of the state.

As of 07:00 local time, 13:00 GMT, on Thursday, about 10,000 people were still without power in various parts of the state, according to website poweroutage.us.

Power outages were also reported in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In Wisconsin alone, 70,000 people were without power Thursday morning.

BBC /Shakirat Sadiq