5 Dead in South Storms, Tornadoes Confirmed

Eric Chaney, Melissa Kory
Published: January 2,2017
Four people died in a structure on Monday evening in Alabama when a tree crashed through it while another man died in Florida while trying to evacuate his home as strong storms moved through the South.
Numerous tornadoes have been confirmed, lightning has sparked several houses fires and and high winds knocked out power to more than 80,000 people in two states. Downed trees and damaged buildings were reported in at least 28 counties in Mississippi, 15 parishes in Louisiana and 15 counties in Texas, according to the Associated Press.

FLORIDA

A Walton County man was found drowned near his submerged vehicle in Mossy Head Monday afternoon, the Walton County Sheriff reported. Sheriff's officers believe the man was trying to evacuate from a travel trailer off of W T Hulion Road.
No further information has been released pending notification of the man's next of kin.

Alabama

Four people died in a structure in Rehobeth, just southwest of Dothan in southeastern Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley confirmed on Twitter.

The individuals were in a mobile home when a tree crashed through it, the Dothan Eagle reports.A three-foot sinkhole opened up in Dothan on Monday morning, following severe rainfall Sunday, according to WTVY.
Emergency management officials in Jackson declared a flash flood emergency for the town of about 5,000, located 65 miles north of Mobile. The flash flood emergency was cancelled Monday evening.
Police in Jackson were conducting at least one water rescue from a stranded vehicle Momday afternoon and said in a Facebook post that numerous roads in town were completely flooded.
Officers confirmed to the NWS that strong winds blew out the windows in a Subway restaurant on Monday afternoon.
Photos on social media show localized flooding in Northport.

Mississippi

A confirmed tornado touched down Monday afternoon near Mendenhall, southeast of Jackson., according to the NWS. A second, radar confirmed tornado hit near Mt. Olive, about 8 miles northeast of Collins.
A 20-year-old Vicksburg man was struck by lightning early Monday as he and three others were duck hunting in the Mahanna Wildlife Management area, WLBT reports. Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace told the station the man is injured, but the extent of his injuries are not yet known.
Power was out to more than 23,000 customers in Mississippi on Monday, likely due to heavy winds, according to the Associated Press.

Louisiana

The 911 call center in LeCompte reported damaged to several homes from a possible tornado early Monday afternoon, and social media photos from Avoyelles Parish show homes damaged, and a 4-wheeler tossed on top of a fence like a toy.
KALB reported damage throughout Avoyelles Parish, including roofs missing from buildings in Hessmer,  multiple trees down on LA 114 near the Hessmer nursing home, and a tree down on a house off of LA 115.
Strong winds damaged the Wal-Mart in Marksville, ripping off parts of the building and signs and turning over a semi trailer behind the building.
More than 16,000 Entergy customers in Louisiana were without power at one point Monmday, including 11,000 in Metairie alone, according to WVUE.

Texas

Lightning sparked a house fire a northeast Houston neighborhood Monday morning. Resident Patricia Tarney told KHOU she was awake watching TV just before 6 a.m. when her house shook.
“It felt like a big boom you know, that's all you can say just a real big boom,” Tarney told the station. “Kind of sad, kind of sad, you know? It's just one of those things there's nothing you can do you couldn't prepare yourself for it.”
Everyone was able to get out of Tarney’s home, including two dogs.
Lightning was likely the cause of another fire earlier on Monday morning, this one in a home in Parker. The homeowner, who made it out safely with his family, told NBC DFW his family heard a loud lightning strike before their smoke alarms started beeping.
(FORECAST: Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain Threaten the South)
In Waxahachie, a fallen tree trapped a teen in a mobile home, WFAA reports. He was able to free himself but was taken to the hospital for observation.
Southeast of Dallas, high winds tore the roof off of a community center in Cottonwood, according to the National Weather Service, and blew over a semi truck on Interstate 35 Grandview early Monday morning.
More than 18,000 customers were without power in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as of midday Monday, according to energy provider OnCor.