An Easter marked by tornadoes, storms across the South

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A series of tornado warnings put north Louisiana residents on edge Sunday morning while much of the Deep South braced for severe Easter weather.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage as the National Weather Service reported tornadoes over the northwest and north central parts of Louisiana. But news outlets reported downed trees and utility companies reported thousands of power outages.

The weather service said the greatest risk for strong Easter Sunday storms ran from northeast Louisiana and southeast Arkansas, across wide swaths of Mississippi and Alabama and into western Georgia.

“This could be a very difficult day weatherwise,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves told residents in a live Facebook presentation. “Please be weather aware. Pay attention. I know that these storms that are coming through can be dangerous. We can see significant winds. We can also see significant tornadoes coming through Mississippi today.”

At midday, the weather service in Birmingham said radar showed strong storms moving into Alabama from Mississippi.

The weather service said a broader area, from east Texas to the East Coast was under at least a “marginal” risk of storms.