US storm brings tornadoes to South, blizzard threat

Dallas, The Gulf Observer: A massive storm blowing across the country Tuesday spawned several tornadoes that wrecked buildings and injured a handful of people in Oklahoma and Texas, left two people missing in Louisiana and saw much of the central United States bracing for blizzard-like conditions.

Sherriff’s deputies, firefighters, volunteers and dog teams were searching the debris after a tornado touched down about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Shreveport, Louisiana, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said. Two people were missing, one was hurt and several buildings were destroyed, Sgt. Casey Jones said.

“I think we’re focused on searching for people. There’s no rain. The weather is gone,” he said a few hours after the tornado swept through Four Forts.

“I’m hoping they’re with family somewhere,” Jones said. There were no immediate reports of deaths.

Far to the northwest, an area stretching from Montana into western Nebraska and Colorado was under blizzard warnings, and the National Weather Service said as much as 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow was possible in some areas of western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. Ice and sleet were expected in the eastern Great Plains.

Forecasters expect the storm system to hobble the upper Midwest with ice, rain and snow for days, as well as move into the Northeast and central Appalachians. Residents from West Virginia to Vermont were told to watch out for a possible significant mix of snow, ice and sleet, and the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch from Wednesday night through Friday afternoon, depending on the timing of the storm.