PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) – Early Saturday, a cluster of severe storms swept through the south, killing one person in Louisiana, toppling trees and power lines in Mississippi, dropping large hail on a coastal Alabama town, and leveling buildings in the Florida Panhandle.
The president of St. Landry Parish, Jessie Bellard, confirmed the death of a man in an early morning tornado in Palmetto, Louisiana. Bellard told KLFY-TV that Jose Antonio Higareda, 27, was killed when the tornado hit the man’s house.
He said seven injured people have been taken to hospitals and at least eight homes have been destroyed or badly damaged, including one lifted off the foundation and crashed almost intact along a road. Five of the houses were mobile homes.
“It’s just devastation for probably a quarter mile to half a mile … There’s nothing left of the houses,” he told The Acadiana Advocate. He didn’t go into the extent of the injuries, but heavy equipment was used to clear the debris on Saturday while storm victims tried to save important belongings.
In Mississippi, a possible tornado brought down power lines and trees in Rankin County, but no injuries were reported.
In Panama City Beach, Florida, a home and grocery store were razed to the ground by a possible tornado, city officials said in a Facebook post. The photo of a resident Posted by The Panama City News Herald shows that the store’s roof and walls have been ripped off, but the counters, shelves, and the merchandise they held appear untouched. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The city is located in Bay County, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018.
‘A lot of people said,’ Hey, we know what to do. Sadly, we’ve experienced it before “ and they came together as a community, ” Panama City Mayor Mark Sheldon told the News Herald. “We saw neighbors come out and help other neighbors and that’s what Panama City Beach is all about.”
In Pensacola, Florida, the roof of a downtown brewery was ripped off by the storm, according to local news reports. The National Weather Service has not confirmed whether that was caused by a tornado, but reported winds of up to 60 mph (95 kpm). The Pensacola News Journal reports that about 13 inches of rain fell.
“We’re still learning what exactly the damage is and what’s going on,” Veronique Zayas, co-owner of Emerald Republic Brewing, told the paper. “But we know that the roof is a total loss. There is water damage everywhere and a lot of equipment has been damaged. “
She said it was lucky no one was hurt.
“The brewers are normally here at 5 or 6 in the morning to start brewing,” she said. “Fortunately no one was here.”
Images shared by news outlets showed car windows shattered by hail, about the size of baseballs in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Storms also brought heavy rain and high winds to parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.
Bellard said search and rescue teams in Louisiana are in the aftermath of the storm.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this storm,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can for those families.”
Bellard reported that SLEMCO, St. Landry Public Works, Animal Control, and the Sheriff’s Department were on site clearing debris and restoring power to the area.
The National Weather Service has said the tornado that hit the area was an EF3 tornado, with wind speeds between 130 and 140 mph (between 209 and 225 kph).
Some flooding was reported. According to the tracking website poweroutage.us, thousands of customers in the region have lost power.