NEW ORLEANS A woman visitor who ignored advice not to leave a hospital during a tornado was sucked up by the wind and killed in Independence, Louisiana. The tornados and storms struck the Deep South on Tuesday, blowing Mississippi river ships around and damaging homes.
A docked freighter in New Orleans was blown across the river and collided with two other vessels and a ship was grounded on the riverbank. The river remained open and there were no reports of injuries.
The woman was killed after leaving the Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Centre in Independence at the height of the storm. Falling trees damaged more than two dozen vehicles at the hospital and an equipment storage lorry was rolled over.
The National Weather Service said that several tornados struck during the afternoon. A possible tornado damaged homes near Kennedy Space Centre, and thousands of customers lost power in Mississippi. The storms followed catastrophic weather last week that caused the deadliest tornado outbreak in years. (AP)