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1 dead, 2 injured as storms, possible tornados hit South

WGNS

 

 

CHRISTIANA, Tenn. (AP) — Officials say severe storms sweeping across the South on Tuesday have killed a person and injured at least two others, knocking down trees and leaving thousands without power. The weather disrupted Election Day voting in some places, forcing citizens to use paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines.

In Tennessee, Rutherford County EMS spokesman Patrick Miller told news outlets that crews responded to a collapsed home where one person was confirmed dead. He said two others were injured when a nearby mobile home rolled over.

WGNS Radio announced Tuesday morning that the person killed was 41-year-old Angie Walker. WTVF noted she is the wife of WGNS president Scott Walker.

Possible tornados touched down in Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi, felling tree limbs and power lines and prompting some schools to delay the start of classes. In northeast Alabama near the Tennessee line, the National Weather Service said an apparent tornado damaged barns and smaller buildings, but no injuries were reported.

Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins said the polling places that had electricity knocked out are operating on generators and have emergency ballots ready for voters. He said the paper ballots would be counted Tuesday. He said the largest area of power outages was in Knox County, where nearly 20,000 customers remained without power Tuesday morning.

Officials say crews are working to restore power to thousands of residents from Louisiana to South Carolina.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports that parts of Tupelo were closed off late Monday as debris, downed trees and power lines blocked roadways. Tupelo Communications Director Leesha Faulkner says there was also a gas leak in a residential area.

In Rutherford County, Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Lisa Sloan said crews responded to a house blaze early Tuesday that appears to have started from a lightning strike. She said there was heavy damage, but no injuries.

Possible tornados were also reported in Natchitoches Parish in Louisiana on Monday afternoon.

This follows severe storms that were blamed for two deaths in the Gulf Coast area last week.