East coast facing multiple tornado threats after south swamped by major flash flooding

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The US east coast was facing multiple tornado threats after powerful storms hit the southeast on Thursday, causing destruction and at least one death.

Warnings of flash flooding and strong winds were put out in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia – delaying the start of one of the world’s biggest sporting events, the Masters golf tournament at Augusta.

More than 100,000 customers nationwide lacked power on Thursday afternoon. That included more than 60,000 in Louisiana, which was hit hard by storms Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us.

Forecasters predicted that parts of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia will be near the bull’s eye of a new area of concern. Those areas could see some tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail, according to the latest outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center.

The entire state of Ohio was under a flood watch on Thursday afternoon. James Gibson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Ohio, said the ground there was already saturated with the potential for heavy rainfall on the way.

In West Virginia, public school students in at least a dozen counties were sent home early on Thursday due to the arriving storms. Southern West Virginia was hit by 10 tornadoes on 2 April. It was a record for one day in the state, which gets two tornadoes in an average year.

At Augusta, tournament officials delayed the start of the event after forecasters predicted wind gusts as high as 45 mph.

“Those wind speeds could easily knock down branches here and there,” Brad Carlberg, a National Weather Service forecaster, told the Associated Press on Thursday. “Just be aware of the weather and gusts, especially if you are near trees because a branch could fall down at any time.”

Torrential rains earlier in the day made roads impassable in Valdosta, Georgia. In Tallahassee, Florida, storms toppled trees and caused significant street flooding, the state weather service said.

Emergency responders assessed damage near St. Augustine, Florida, on Thursday afternoon, after a tornado touched down. Photos shared by St. Johns County Fire Rescue showed fences ripped apart, but no deaths or serious injuries were reported.

Fire Rescue Chief Sean McGee said one person went to a local hospital with storm-related injuries, but they were not transported by rescue workers.

Meteorologist Ben Nelson said National Weather Service teams were surveying the area to determine the cyclone’s intensity.

The severe weather warnings in the east come after parts of Louisiana were battered by storms on Wednesday.

A tornado struck Slidell, about 30 miles northeast of New Orleans, ripping roofs off buildings and partially collapsing others in and around the city of about 28,000. Authorities said first responders had to rescue people trapped in one apartment building.

Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer estimated at a news conference Wednesday night that about 75 homes and businesses were damaged. St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper estimated that hundreds more homes were damaged outside the city.

Police video showed tree limbs littering the streets and flooded yards that resembled swamps. Outside a McDonald’s restaurant, a car was on its side, power poles leaned, and large pieces of the trademark golden arches were strewn about.

“I’ve never talked to God so much before in my life,” Robin Marquez said after huddling with co-workers in a two-story building where the roof was ripped away and walls caved in.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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