Flash flooding, tornadoes rock Gulf Coast states
High winds from these storms reportedly cut power to more than 250,000 customers across the south on Wednesday.
Severe weather that rolled through the Gulf Coast states beginning Tuesday, April 9, raised warnings from Texas eastward to Florida; causing flash flooding, multiple tornadoes and widespread power outages. The Washington Post reports that high winds cut power to more than 250,000 customers across the south on Wednesday, with around 100,000 still waiting for restoration as of Thursday afternoon.
Many New Orleans streets were left underwater after torrential rainfall dropped around 6 inches of water on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, overwhelming the city’s stormwater system and leaving many roads unpassable.
Just northeast of New Orleans, the town of Slidell, Louisiana in the St. Tammany Parish reportedly saw as many as four potential tornadoes. A state of emergency was declared by Parish’ President Mike Cooper, who noted that damage from the storms was widespread and damaged “hundreds of homes, if not more.”
The only death reported from these storms occurred in Scott County, Mississippi. Initial damage assessments showed around 72 homes in the state were damaged by the storms, and at least one tornado was reported in Raymond, Mississippi.
From there, storms continued to push east into Florida where a large tornado reportedly struck near St. Augustine on Thursday afternoon, causing damage at the World Golf Village.
In a statement, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple urged policyholders to assess damage from these storms and file a claim with their insurance company as quickly as possible.
The Louisiana Department of Insurance also offered the following tips for those who need to file an insurance claim after severe weather:
- Have your policy number and an initial assessment of damage on hand when you contact your insurance agent to file a claim. You should also make sure your insurance company has your correct contact information.
- Take pictures or video of the damage before you begin your cleanup or make temporary repairs. As you clean, try to separate damaged property from undamaged. Don’t throw out the damaged items yet, though, as keeping them can help your claims adjuster complete an inventory of your losses.
- Make temporary repairs, like tarping damaged roofs or boarding up broken windows, in order to secure your property and mitigate further risk while you await more permanent fixes. Keep receipts for any expenses incurred from temporary repairs.
- Ask for identification when an adjuster visits your property.
The severe weather threat was expected to continue into the latter part of the week; this time putting parts of the Ohio Valley and areas north toward the Great Lakes in the path of more potential tornadoes and flooding.