Hundreds of National Guard personnel activated in Louisiana after tornadoes

Associated Press / Gerald Herbert

Louisiana activated 300 National Guard personnel after New Orleans was shaken by a large tornado, leading to multiple injuries, two confirmed deaths and extensive land damage. 

The state authorized the activation of the 300 personnel to clear roads and provide security and engineering support, joining firefighters and other first responders in searching through buildings to look for anyone still in the area, the Louisiana National Guard confirmed to The Hill.

It has approximately 93 soldiers and airmen deployed to assist with the immediate response mission, such as search and rescue operations, warehouse commodities preparation and others. 

The personnel will also help with route clearance, as well as road debris removal, security force augmentation and commodities distribution. 

The city of New Orleans was hit by a large tornado Tuesday evening, which flipped cars, toppled buses and ripped roofs off homes. The tornado killed at least two people, who have not yet been named. 

While New Orleans escaped significant damage, tornadoes hit the areas of St. Bernard Parish, next to the city, as well as Arabi and Lacombe, according to The Associated Press. One person reportedly died in St. Bernard Parish. 

“We will provide more details as damages are assessed, and we implore New Orleans residents to remain patient and vigilant and allow both our brave public service teams and the Entergy technicians to do their jobs unimpeded,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said on Twitter late Tuesday. 

The same storm system also spawned tornados in other states, including Texas, where one woman died, and Alabama, according to the AP.

Tags LaToya Cantrell Louisiana Tornado

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed..

Main Area Top ↴

ovp - video bin

The fabulous Wonder Mama gives Dayna a tour of Sydney's LGBTQIA+ nightlife

The fabulous Wonder Mama gives Dayna a tour of ...
Catching waves, coffee and views in Bondi Beach
Exploring fashion and food in Sydney's Paddington and ...
Feel like royalty at Crown Towers Sydney
Oliver Stark talks S8 of '9-1-1'
Hollywood remembers Quincy Jones
More Videos

Testing Homepage Widget

Main Area Middle ↴
Main Area Bottom ↴

Most Popular

Load more

Video

See all Video