At least 17 people were killed in Louisiana and Mississippi as a series of tornados and severe storms barreled across several southern states, Fox News reported Monday morning.
Both Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared states of emergency.
CNN reports “catastrophic damage” in both states, including structural damage to homes and commercial buildings. Widespread power outages have also been reported in Mississippi and Louisiana.
The deadly weather adds to an already difficult time in the south as an increasing number of residents self-isolate to help curb the rampant community spread of the novel coronavirus.
As authorities encourage residents to head to public shelters for safety, social distancing efforts remain underway, but they are more challenging to enforce inside confined spaces where many people could congregate.
Alabama also declared a state of emergency as severe weather moved east, with Gov. Kay Ivey (R ) noting in a statement that COVID-19 safety practices would still be implemented in public emergency shelters. This includes donning facial masks, wearing gloves and washing hands and using sanitizer.
While the south recovers from the damage on Sunday, the severe weather is moving east and up the Atlantic coast, spanning from northern Florida all the way to Montreal, Canada, per weather reports.
Tornado warnings have already been issued in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and central Virginia, while severe weather is also expected for northern Virginia and Maryland.
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