Four Killed and Property Destroyed as Tornadoes Strike Gulf Coast

Four people were killed and property was ripped apart as tornadoes and severe thunderstoms moved across the Southeast Tuesday.

The New York Times and other news services reported that an 81-year-old woman died after her mobile home was overturned in Houston County, Alabama. Others were killed by falling trees in Birmingham, Alabama, and in Clayton County, Georgia. In Claremont, North Carolina, a person died in a trailer park.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for much of the state. Parts of the Panhandle suffered severe wind damage. In and around Panama City, Florida, south of Tallahassee, winds ripped roofs off of buildings and baseball-size hail pummeled the area, according to multiple news reports.

USA Today reported that a tornado damaged buildings in the Lower Grand Lagoon area south of Panama City. Storm damage, possibly caused by the same tornado, was also reported in the Marianna area. Homes were destroyed and damaged in the Spring Chase neighborhood the recently refurbished Florida Caverns RV Resort at Merritt’s Mill Pond was severely damaged, the newspaper reported.

Storms in front of a squall line appear to have dealt the heaviest blow to areas west of Tallahassee, US Today reported. The storms shut down schools, courthouses and government offices across the area.

Flood watches were issued from North Carolina to Maine, Bloomberg News reported.

Top photo: A home lifted from its moorings in Panama City, Florida. (Bay County Sheriff/Facebook)