'The house just exploded': Tornado, storm survivors describe devastation in the South
A powerful storm system swept through parts of the South on Thursday, producing tornadoes, hurricane-force winds, hail and flooding rain.
Day 3 of multiday outbreak targets multiple major metro areas
Many major metro areas such as Atlanta, Nashville, and Louisville are under severe weather alerts as dangerous storms are threatening to bring damaging wind gusts, tornadoes, and large hail.
Three survivors recount the moment storms struck their communities in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas on Thursday.
A powerful storm system that swept through parts of the South, producing tornadoes, hurricane-force winds, hail and flooding rain, has been blamed for the deaths of at least two people.
Hearing the ‘roar’ in Arkansas
Nikki Pate talks to FOX Weather multimedia journalist Katie Byrne in Kirby, Arkansas. March 3, 2023.
(FOX Weather)
In southwestern Arkansas, in the town of Kirby, Nikki Pate described how the storm came bearing down on her home.
"The storm came in fast. It was strong," she said. "The rain and hail beating on the windows, blowing it into the side of my house."
Pate also described what she heard that night.
"The roar – when I heard the roar, I got scared," she said, noting how she tried to set her fear aside. "The roar was so loud, and the house was shaking so bad that I was trying to hide my fear and protect my children."
'Reality is setting in': Arkansas resident recaps dangerous flooding
FOX Weather multimedia journalist Katie Byrne speaks with Arkansas resident Nikki Pate as she recounts living through the dangerous storms that swept through Arkansas las night.
Pate and her children stayed in their hallway, huddled underneath a mattress.
"It seemed like forever, but it was just a matter of minutes," she said.
Pate, her family and their home made it through the storm unscathed. Some of her neighbors, however, were not so lucky. One neighbor’s home had large portions torn off, while another neighbor’s home was leveled.
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Despite the structural damage, no major injuries were reported.
When the sky turned green in Louisiana
Keith Bishop talks to FOX Weather multimedia journalist Brandy Campbell in Shreveport, Louisiana. March 3, 2023.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
The same storm system also damaged homes in northwest Louisiana.
In Shreveport, homeowner Keith Bishop said he was on his front porch when the weather began to deteriorate.
"I saw it turn like a greenish color," he said. "It got super windy. I started noticing stuff going up in the air – dfand I looked up, and I could see it."
Bishop said he then went into the house and shouted for his children to seek shelter in the hallway. He and his wife picked up his father-in-law, who was sitting in the living room and uses a walker, and brought him to the kitchen.
'Within 10 seconds the house just exploded': Resident recounts the moment a tornado destroyed his home
Shreveport, Louisiana resident, Keith Bishop, recounts the harrowing experience when a tornado tore the roof off his home with him and his family inside.
Soon after Bishop rallied his family to safety, the tornado struck.
"Within 10 seconds, it's like the house just exploded," he said. "And it was over as quick as it started."
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The storm ripped off the roof over the living room, exposing the home to the elements. According to Bishop, structural damage was all the storm caused, as he and his family were not hurt.
"A little bit of a miracle," he said with a smile.
Heartbreak in Texas
Susan talks to FOX Weather multimedia journalist Will Nunley in Pickton, Texas. March 3, 2023.
(FOX Weather)
The northeast corner of the Lone Star state also experienced storm damage.
A tornado was spotted in the small community of Pickton, where many homes were damaged by powerful winds.
Map showing locations of Pickton, Texas, Kirby, Arkansas, and Shreveport, Louisiana.
(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
One woman by the name of Susan drove by to check on her family in Pickton. Their home was untouched, but many others nearby were not.
One home had a tree fall onto it, damaging its roof. Another structure was destroyed, while a nearby tree had a long metal bar wrapped around it, showing the strength of winds during Thursday’s storms.
'I've never seen anything like this in my whole life': Residents survey aftermath of tornado-warned storms
FOX Weather Multimedia Journalist Will Nunley speaks with a resident recounting her experience after hearing her family home was in the path of the tornado-warned storms and how the community will try to recover in the coming weeks.
"I've never seen anything like it in my whole life," Susan said. "It's devastating. It's heartbreaking. These people lost everything. It's just heartbreaking."
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Although the Pickton residents are surrounded by loss, Susan believes that, given the tight-knit nature of the community, there is reason to remain hopeful.
"I think they're going to all pull together on this," she said.
See the tornadoes, hurricane-force winds from the first severe weather outbreak of meteorological spring
The first storm system of meteorological spring produced tornadoes, hail and hurricane-force winds across at least three southern states.