LOUISIANA, USA — After severe storms swept through the state on Monday, Governor Jeff Landry and state officials said 16 parishes were impacted with 160,000 residents without power at the time of the storm.
"Unfortunately today marks the 11th severe weather event that GOHSEP (Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency) has had to respond to for the citizens of the state," Landry said during a press conference Tuesday.
The storms slammed several southern states including Louisiana and Mississippi, but the metro New Orleans area was largely spared the worst as the storms seemed to weaken moving through the state.
Parishes of Calcasieu, Beauregard, Allen, Jeff Davis, St. Martin, Livingston, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, East Feliciana, West and East Baton Rouge were impacted by the two storms, Landry said.
He said the two systems converged "somewhere around St. Martin Parish" and the conversions caused the storms to grow in intensity and size.
Landry said the "system became both dangerous and deadly". He said the state's warning system was in place.
There were two fatalities in West Baton Rouge, a woman who was 9 months pregnant was killed after a tree fell on her mobile home.
In St. Martin a woman died when a camper rolled over due to high winds.
"This was a very, very quick moving system," said GOHSEP director Jacques Thibodeaux.
The storms caused widespread power outages.
"We're down to 53,000 and it continues to get better every hour."
The National Weather Service is assessing if any tornadoes effected the areas.
The governor advised residents to visit virtualla.la.gov for information about severe weather, emergencies, school closures and power outages.
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