Tornadoes rip through US south

At least six people were killed after severe storms tore through a number of southern states late on Wednesday (April 22), adding to weeks of extreme weather that had already killed more than two dozen people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

More than two dozen tornadoes hit four states overnight.

In Louisiana, a man was found dead after he lost his footing and was swept away by floodwaters. A witness reported the man was trying to retrieve a trash can from water near a drainage ditch.

Some areas in Louisiana had experienced “extreme flooding” the likes of which Sheriff Jayson Richardson of DeSoto parish had not “seen in many, many years, if ever”.

“Basically the water rose really fast and we had to rescue some people out of homes. I think we had about 20 or so homes that people were flooded in,” he told the Shreveport Times.

The Alexandria campus of Louisiana State University confirmed “there [was] damage to DeWitt Livestock building and a camper flipped over,” leaving the campus without power.