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E-mail Xinhua, December 29, 2024
HOUSTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least one person died after multiple tornadoes and severe storms ripped through the Greater Houston metropolitan area in Texas and several other southern U.S. states on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.
In Brazoria County, about 45 miles (72.4 km) south of Houston, the Sheriff's Office confirmed one death and four injuries.
In northern Houston's Montgomery County, another two people were hospitalized with injuries, Deputy Chief of Staff Jason Smith told CBS News.
So far there were no reports of critical injuries.
"We are still conducting secondary searches and going through and ensuring that all the residents are accounted for," Brazoria County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Madison Polston told CNN.
"At this point, we don't expect there to be additional fatalities," she added.
Multiple tornadoes hit Houston suburbs on Saturday, damaging dozens of homes and bringing down power lines and trees, according to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS).
From Houston to Dallas, hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at Texas airports due to the severe storms.
Besides Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi were also placed under a tornado watch by the NWS, which was upgraded to a rare "particularly dangerous situation." The warning cautioned of "numerous strong tornadoes" until 9 p.m. Central Standard Time (0300 GMT).
In southwest Mississippi, a large wedge tornado touched down west of Brookhaven, leaving behind massive debris and injuries, according to a local report.
At least one person was trapped in a house when a tree fell on it during a tornado, it added.
Across eastern Louisiana, strong winds knocked down trees and power lines, with the highest speed reaching 81 mph (130.35 km/h) on Saturday afternoon.
The severe storm threat is expected to weaken on Sunday, as it spreads to the Southeast, the East Coast and parts of the Mid-Atlantic, said a CNN report, adding that 2024 has seen 1,783 tornado reports across the United States as of Friday. Enditem
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