Tornadoes, storms strike Southern states, killing at least 7

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

At least seven people are dead after a wave of strong thunderstorms and tornadoes hit Southern states Wednesday, injuring dozens of people and damaging homes and businesses, authorities said.

According to the National Weather Service, one tornado struck Onalaska, Texas, as well as parts of Polk, San Jacinto and possibly Walker counties Wednesday evening.

In a Facebook post late Wednesday, Polk County Emergency Management reported three deaths related to the storm, which injured as many as 30 people there.

PSA Good evening. At 5:30pm, the National Weather Service informed us of a severe thunderstorm with potential for...

Posted by Polk County Emergency Management, Texas on Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Meanwhile, emergency management officials in Marshall County, Oklahoma, reported two storm-related deaths after a tornado ripped through the area about 5 p.m. CDT, according to CNN. The storm also damaged two steel plants and hurt several people, the network reported.

At least two people died in Louisiana, according to multiple reports.

A woman died as a storm struck near Woodworth, Rapides Parish officials told Alexandria Town Talk. Louisiana State University's campus in Alexandria reported storm-related damage but said the school's students were safe.

DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson told the Shreveport Times a man drowned in Mansfield while he was trying to retrieve a trashcan in the stormy weather. Officials said he was swept away by floodwaters, according to the Times.

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