St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office/Reuters
Two people were killed in Louisiana on Sunday morning when a tornado tore through the area. The victims were identified as a mother and her 3-year-old daughter whose mobile home was flipped off its foundation and destroyed by the storm in Breaux Bridge. The National Weather Service confirmed late Sunday that a tornado had touched down in the area, after authorities had initially described it as a “weather event.” A spokeswoman for the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office told the Associated Press that the tornado struck shortly after a warning was issued. “It hit the trailer, flipped it, and tore its side off. There was a mother and daughter inside and both were killed,” the spokeswoman, Maj. Ginny Higgins, was cited as saying. Witnesses told local media that the father was out at the time of the storm and returned home to find his wife and daughter dead. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards warned of an “extremely dangerous weather event” and said the entire state was put on “high alert.” Parts of Arkansas and Mississippi were also affected, with warnings of possible tornadoes late Sunday.