ROME: Freak storms and flash flooding following last week´s heatwave in Italy claimed three lives this weekend, including a young woman caught up in a mini-tornado near Rome´s Fiumicino airport.

The 26-year-old woman was driving home at around 2:00 am Sunday when the mini-tornado lifted her car and sent it crashing against a railing.

The highly localised winds tore up trees and scattered debris across the zone it hit.

Further north, a 45-year-old Norwegian competing in an ultramarathon in the Dolomite Mountains died after being hit by lightning as he ran at 2,000 metres altitude on Saturday afternoon. And on Sunday, near Arezzo, south of Florence in the northern Tuscany region, a 70-year-old man died after his car got caught by flash-flooding.

The emergency services found his body in a mud-filled canal.

Coldiretti, Italy´s main agricultural organisation, said hail storms over the last 24 hours had caused millions of euros worth of damage across the country.

Worst hit was the Arezzo province in Tuscany, they said. Orchards, as well as fields of tobacco, sunflowers and corn were completely destroyed, they said. </s> CLOSE Violent storms produced flooding and tornadoes in parts of Texas and Louisiana. At least five people were killed by the severe weather. USA TODAY

Violent storms unleashed floods and tornadoes across Texas and Louisiana on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving at least five people dead.

The threat for rough weather will continue Friday, the National Weather Service said. Severe thunderstorms are possible across the mid-Atlantic region, and strong winds and tornadoes are both possible in eastern portions of North Carolina and Virginia.

Two people were killed early Thursday in Ruston, in north-central Louisiana, after a tornado ripped through the town and the Louisiana Tech University campus around 2:30 a.m. local time.

"I've never seen it this bad in my 43 years. It's tragic, and it's going to be a while before we can get all this cleaned up," Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone said.

Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker confirmed the two fatalities.

"It's bad; real bad," Walker said. "We took a direct hit."

Late Thursday afternoon, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state due to the fierce storms.

The National Weather Service said the tornado was rated an EF-3, which means its wind speeds were in the 136 to 165 mph range.

Weather service hydrologist C. S. Ross says it appears the tornado cut a track over 130 miles from eastern Texas to the Louisiana-Arkansas border.

The same cluster of thunderstorms produced flooding and severe weather in Texas on Wednesday, the Weather Channel reported.

THE AFTERMATH - We're live over Ruston as we get our first view of tornado damage seen in the daylight over the region. These storms did kill at least two people as confirmed by the mayor earlier. pic.twitter.com/kAK5vIHcUT — WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) April 25, 2019

About 75 miles southwest of Fort Worth, a woman and two children were killed when the family's car was caught in rushing flood waters, authorities said. The incident occurred at about 6 a.m. in what's usually a small creek just outside Dublin.

The Weather Channel said the threat of severe weather, including possible large hail and tornadoes, will continue to move into the Southeast on Thursday night before shifting toward the mid-Atlantic on Friday.

A long-tracked supercell thunderstorm crossed from Deep East Texas into west-central Louisiana and into the ArkLaMiss overnight. We will be surveying along this swath over the next several days. At this time, we cannot confirm a tornado was on the ground along this entire path. pic.twitter.com/Ieuk3yUZBw — NWS Shreveport (@NWSShreveport) April 25, 2019

Thursday's opening of the New Orleans Jazz Fest was delayed because of the storms, the event organizers said. The PGA golf tournament in New Orleans was also delayed for several hours because of lightning.

Contributing: The Associated Press; The News-Star (Monroe, La.)

Storms smashed through Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, early on April 25, 2019. (Photo: News-Star)

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/25/tornadoes-killer-storms-leave-death-destruction-texas-louisiana/3573446002/ </s> Three people have been killed and more than 170 were injured as a tornado devastated the Cuban capital of Havana on Sunday evening.

Gusts of winds of more than 62mph tore through parts of Havana around 9pm on Sunday, bringing heavy rain and hail.

The storm caused city-wide power-cuts, destroyed buildings and sent cars flying, local media reports.

Tornado's are rare on Cuba, and this was the first twister to hit the capital in decades.

The full magnitude of the damage is not yet known, however photos and video footage posted on social media by Havana residents show the destruction the tornado has left in its wake.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel said early Monday that three people had been killed and 174 injured in the storm, however the number of casualties may rise.

He added that several emergency teams were working hard to restore power to blacked-out areas.

In the city's Luyano neighborhood storm debris - including parts of a balcony ripped off an old building - blocked the streets, AFP photographers reported.

As emergency sirens blared across the city, firefighters and ambulances rushed about on rescue missions, their flashing lights giving light to blacked out areas.

At the Hijas de Galicia maternity hospital staff were forced to evacuate the building due to storm damage.

The tornado, spawned by a powerful storm that originated in the Gulf of Mexico, hit western Cuba with winds of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour.

People described the tornado as having 'the sound of a jet engine,' and reported feeling changes in the environmental pressure when it arrived, Armando Caymares with the Institute of Meteorology said.

The tornado 'caught me in the street, in the car with my wife and children,' actor Luis 'Panfilo' Silva wrote on his social media account.

'I had to dodge fallen trees, flooded areas and strong winds until I managed to get home. We experienced great fear,' he wrote. </s> ABC News(ORLANDO) — Florida’s governor declared a state of emergency ahead of a subtropical storm’s hitting the Gulf Coast.

Subtropical storm Alberto is forecast to move northward into the Gulf Of Mexico over the weekend, with the center passing west of Cuba, the Florida Keys and mainland Florida — and setting its sights on eastern Louisiana, the Florida Panhandle and the coasts of Alabama and Mississippi.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Saturday that the state of emergency covers all 67 counties to “prepare for the torrential rain and severe flooding this storm will bring.”

Alberto was moving north-northeast at 7 mph on Saturday morning with winds currently at 40 mph. The storm is about 95 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. The satellite shows that Alberto is somewhat disorganized, with all of the thunderstorm activity east of the center of circulation.

Since Alberto is a lopsided storm, the most notable impacts will be east of the center of circulation. Therefore, direct impacts — primarily heavy rain — will affect much of Florida and the Gulf Coast later this weekend.

Alberto will likely come ashore, potentially as a tropical storm, somewhere along the Gulf Coast late Monday into early Tuesday. However, the primary impact of heavy rain will affect Florida through much of this weekend and impact the Gulf Coast as early as Sunday.

It is important to not focus on the exact cone, since impacts will be felt far away from the center of the storm. Regardless of whether Alberto becomes a true tropical storm by definition, very heavy rain and flooding are likely from Florida to Louisiana over the next several days.

The main and most widespread threat from Alberto is the potential for heavy rain. A flash flood watch has been posted for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and large areas of Florida. Widespread rainfall of 3 to 6 inches is expected through the next several days due to tropical rain showers from Alberto. Rainfall could reach or exceed 2 inches per hour in some of these cells. Some locations — especially southwest Florida, the Florida Keys and the Gulf Coast — will receive even heavier rain, with isolated totals of 6 to 10 inches possible.

Western Cuba could see rainfall totals of over 2 feet with Alberto, which could cause life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.

A tropical storm watch has been posted for parts of the Gulf Coast, including New Orleans; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama. A storm surge watch has been posted for parts of the coastal region from eastern Louisiana to the panhandle of Florida. Storm surge could reach 2 to 4 feet when Alberto approaches the region on Monday.

There will be an increase in showers and thunderstorms in southern Florida, especially the Florida Keys, on Saturday. Some of these tropical showers will have very heavy rainfall. A couple of these tropical showers and thunderstorms could also spawn brief tornadoes. Key West, Florida, has already had its wettest May on record, with 13.08 inches of rain. Several more inches of rain is likely this weekend from Alberto.

By Sunday morning, the center of Alberto will be over the Gulf of Mexico, but widespread tropical showers and thunderstorms will be over much of Florida. Once again, very heavy rainfall is likely with these tropical downpours, and brief tornadoes will be possible.

Alberto is expected to come ashore late Sunday and early Monday along the Gulf Coast, with heavy rain being the primary threat.

There were 79 reports of severe weather in the country on Friday, with the majority of the reports coming from the central United States. That includes three reported tornadoes, including one landspout in southern Minnesota and one supercell tornado in central Texas. Hail up to the size of baseballs and softballs were also reported in central Texas.

On Saturday, the severe threat should be kept to a fairy localized and rural part of the country, with parts of eastern Montana and western North Dakota at risk for damaging winds, large hail and lightning.

The threat slides south and east on Sunday and stretches from western Kansas to southern North Dakota. In the slight-risk region, there is a threat for damaging winds, large hail and brief tornadoes.

The severe weather looks to stick around in this same part of the country — the central and northern high Plains — on Memorial Day. Once again, the risk will primarily be damaging winds and large hail. </s> Italy’s Civil Protection Agency has confirmed a German tourist died on Friday when hit by lightning in Sardinia while another person struck by lightning several days ago died in hospital. A spokesperson for the Agency said 17 deaths related to the destructive weather have so far been reported to it. Many of the victims have been killed by falling trees, with 14 million destroyed since the gales began. Areas all the way from the far northeast to Sicilly in the south west have been affected, with the worst damage inflicted in the northern regions of Trentino and Veneto.

This is the region around Venice - where villages and roads have been cut off by landslides. Several squares and pavements in Venice have been submerged in the highest floods the canal city has seen in 10 years. Angelo Borelli, head of the Civil Protection Agency, revealed Veneto had been hit by winds of up to 112mph, warning the situation there was “apocalyptic”. Luca Zaia, the governor of Veneto, warned the storms may have caused at least €1 billion worth of damage.

On Friday, weather forecasters warned the destructive weather is not going to give a rest to the ravaged country any time soon, with heavy rain and thunderstorms set to hit in the coming days. The civil protection has issued red alerts in Veneto, Venice’s region, which in the last days was submerged by the waters of the canal, swamped by the violent rains, flooding homes and shops. Orange warning for storms were issued in 12 Italian regions out of 22, including Tuscany and Lazio, regions were are situated, respectively, Florence and Rome. But the areas which suffered the most are all located in northern Italy.

In Bergamo, a city in the rich region of Lombardy, the public prosecutor’s office launched an investigation against unknown people to assess if the series of landslides that hit the nearby town of Vilminore di Scalve “cutting it to slices”, as said in local reports, could have been avoided. And more misery piled up for people living in the iconic Riviera in Liguria, Genoa’s region, where the airport had to be shut down after rocks and flooded debris crowded its runways. Liguria’s president, Giovanni Toti, asked the government to declare a state of emergency, saying the weather caused thousands of millions of euro in damages. The seaside city of Rapallo is still removing the dozens of large boats sunk after the collapse of the barriers of the Carlo Riva harbour. </s> A state of emergency has been declared in Nebraska after heavy rains and melting snow caused history flooding throughout the state. Governor Pete Ricketts declared the state of emergency in order to allow access to relief funds and other resources. There has been at least one flood-related death reported, after one man was swept away by floodwaters.

Bryan Tuma, assistant director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency told Omaha World Herald that a farmer was driving a tractor to help a motorist who was stuck in the rising waters when he was suddenly swept away and killed. 



There has been evacuation across multiple eastern Nebraska towns, as well as at least one town in Iowa. 



According to the Lincoln State Journal, there have been thousands of residents asked to leave their homes as floods worsen. 



The flooding is a result of a powerful winter storm, dubbed a “bomb cyclone” which has left blizzards, floods and tornadoes in its wake as it tracked across the US Mountain and Plains states this week. Read More: Kansas and Oklahoma on HIGH ALERT as 15 TORNADO warnings issued in US

Thirteen tornadoes were reported in Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan on Thursday according to Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Center's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.



However, none of the thirteen tornadoes was reported to have caused serious damage.



Dangerous flooding caused a dramatic rescue on Thursday, which saw emergency crew members saved by a National Guard helicopter after their boat capsized. 



The seven first responders were travelling along the Elkhorn River to assist a family trapped in their home when they capsized. 



It has now pushed eastwards into the Midwest and the Great Lakes Region as of early Friday local time. Persistent heavy rain from the severe storm falling on snowy and icy ground has caused rivers to swell and dangerous floodwaters to rise. 



This is impacting Nebraska, Wisconsin and other Midwestern States, whilst North Dakota faces severe winds and snow. 



Forecasters predict that flooding could last well into the weekend, with several highways becoming impassible in Wisconsin, and farmers worry that livestock would drown. 



Meteorologist Paul Fajman said: “With the frozen ground and amount of rain our area had, it was just a perfect set of circumstances that led to the flooding we’re seeing in Nebraska and Iowa.”



According to News Channel Nebraska, the Mormon Creek Bridge was completely washed away by the Niobrara River on Thursday morning. 



Residents who lived along the Niobrara were then urged to evacuate as the Spencer Dam failed. 



Flood waters have also destroyed and washed away Nebraska Department of Transportation buildings and equipment say News Channel Nebraska. </s> The violent twister was confirmed to have struck Missouri’s capital at 11:43pm on Wednesday night. Several terrifying but unconfirmed reports claim residents heard “mass casualties” over their scanners. There were already three deaths confirmed across the state, though figures from the capital are yet to emerge.

An emergency alert described the tornado as “large and destructive” and moving at 40mph. The NWS of Saint Louis said on Facebook that the tornado has 'produced extensive damage'. The Jefferson City Fire Department was sending rescuers house-to-house searching for people in need, officials posted on social media, with reports of people trapped in debris. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said on Twitter early on Thursday: “We're doing okay but praying for those that were caught in damage, some still trapped.”

Jared Maples, a meteorologist with the NWS St. Louis office, said: "As of this morning, the main parts of the storms have pushed eastward, thank goodness," leaving the region to deal with just another expected two inches of rain through Friday. At least three other people have been killed since Monday in Oklahoma and Iowa in a string of at least 30 tornadoes, heavy rains and floods that hit a swath from Texas to Illinois since Monday. Residents in sections of Jefferson were under orders to evacuate Thursday ahead of the expected crest of the Missouri River at least 2 feet above the 30-foot high levees. Rainfall is predicted to be about 2 inches (5 cm) across eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and into western Missouri, with localised spots getting up to 5 inches (13 cm), forecasters said.

Missouri Public Safety tweeted that there was a possibility of more tornadoes and flash flooding. First responders warned that 'flash flooding hazards will expand as rain continues'. There have also been numerous reports of gas odours. Authorities confirmed that several buildings had collapsed and photos from one structure appeared to be a Sonic restaurant. There were also local reports of a bowling alley with heavy damage and a destroyed bank. One tornado churned just a few miles north of Joplin, Missouri, on the eighth anniversary of a catastrophic tornado that killed 161 people in the city. The Joplin tornado on May 22, 2011, was one of the strongest and most destructive in US history. </s> JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A tornado caused heavy damage in Missouri's capital city as severe weather swept across the state overnight, causing at least three deaths and injuring nearly two dozen people as homes and businesses were ripped apart.

The National Weather Service confirmed that the large and destructive tornado moved over Jefferson City shortly before midnight on Wednesday.

"Across the state, Missouri's first responders once again responded quickly and with strong coordination as much of the state dealt with extremely dangerous conditions that left people injured, trapped in homes, and tragically led to the death of three people," Gov. Mike Parson said.

Missouri Public Safety said the three were killed in the Golden City area of Barton County, near Missouri's southwest corner, as the severe weather moved in from Oklahoma, where rescuers struggled to pull people from high water. The tornado hit during a week that has seen several days of tornadoes and torrential rains in parts of the Southern Plains and Midwest.

The damage spanned about a 3-mile area in the state capital, Jefferson City Police Lt. David Williams said. About 20 people were rescued by emergency personnel, and although there were no reports of missing people, authorities planned to make door-to-door checks on Thursday, he said.

The weather service reported that a "confirmed large and destructive tornado" was observed over Jefferson City at 11:43 p.m. Wednesday, moving northeast at 40 mph (64 kph). The capital city has a population of about 40,000 and is located about 130 miles (209 kilometers) west of St. Louis.

"It's a chaotic situation right now," Williams said.

Williams spoke from the Cole County Sheriff's office, where debris including insulation, roofing shingles and metal pieces lay on the ground outside the front doors. Authorities were discouraging people from beginning clean-up efforts until power is safely restored. Area hospitals set up command centers in case the need arises.

Missouri Public Safety tweeted that there was a possibility of more tornadoes and flash flooding.

Austin Thomson, 25, was in the laundry room of his complex of two-story apartment buildings to do his wash and noticed the wind started picking up. He saw sheets of rain coming down and a flagpole bend and then slam to the ground. The windows broke and he dove behind the washers and dryers.

After it calmed down, he walked outside to check the damage, and retrieved a stuffed animal for his daughter from his damaged apartment.

"There's basically one building that's basically one story now," he said.

The weather service said it had received 22 reports of tornadoes by late Wednesday; some could be duplicate reporting of the same twister.

One tornado skirted just a few miles north of Joplin, Missouri, on the eighth anniversary of a catastrophic tornado that killed 161 people in the city. The tornado caused some damage in the town of Carl Junction, about 4 miles (6.44 kilometers) north of the Joplin airport, where several injuries were reported.

The severe weather was expected to continue Thursday as the storms head east. Forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center say parts of the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic could see tornadoes, large hail and strong winds. Forecasters say the area most at risk for bad weather Thursday includes Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

Storms and torrential rains have ravaged the Midwest, from Texas through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. Authorities urged residents of several small towns in Oklahoma and Kansas to leave their homes as rivers and streams rose.

Two barges broke loose and floated swiftly down the swollen Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma, spreading alarm downstream as they threatened to hit a dam. A posting on the official Facebook page of the river town of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, said the runaway barges posed a dire threat to its 600 residents: "Evacuate Webbers Falls immediately. The barges are loose and has the potential to hit the lock and dam 16. If the dam breaks, it will be catastrophic!! Leave now!!"

Authorities located the barges Thursday morning, stuck on rocks in the swollen river. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says the barges were still tied together, and crews were working to secure them.

Still, the Interstate 40 bridge and a state highway bridge remain closed over the Arkansas River at Webbers Falls as a precaution, according to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Over Memorial Day weekend in 2002, a barge struck the Interstate 40 bridge pier at Webbers Falls, causing part of the bridge to collapse into the Arkansas River. Fourteen people died after their vehicles plunged into the water.

Deaths from this week's storms include a 74-year-old woman found early Wednesday morning in Iowa. Officials there say she was killed by a possible tornado that damaged a farmstead in Adair County. Missouri authorities said heavy rain was a contributing factor in the deaths of two people in a traffic accident Tuesday near Springfield.

A fourth weather-related death occurred in Oklahoma, where the Highway Patrol said a woman apparently drowned after driving around a barricade Tuesday near Perkins, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City. The unidentified woman's body was sent to the state medical examiner's office, which confirmed Wednesday that the death was attributed to the flooding. </s> 00:49 Severe Storms, Tornadoes, River Flooding Hit Several States Scatter severe thunderstorms stretching from Texas to Ohio Valley brought tornadoes and flooding across several states. The storms overturned trucks, damaged homes and forced many to seek high ground.

At a Glance At least seven people are dead as a result of storms and flooding since Monday.

The Mississippi River ticked above levels reached in 1993 in Davenport, Iowa, the highest level there in 157 years.

The city's downtown area remained under water Friday, days after a temporary levee gave way.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Thursday for Wayne County

At least 3,000 homes have been damaged in Wayne County from flooding.

Deadly flooding from heavy rains and snow melt continued to plague areas from Michigan to the South on Saturday.

The Mississippi River ticked above levels reached in the historic 1993 flood in Davenport, Iowa, making it the highest level there in 157 years. The city's downtown remained under water Friday, days after a temporary levee gave way and flooded the city that does not have a permanent levee or floodwall, the Associated Press reports.

Jon Erdman, weather.com senior meteorologist, noted that the Mississippi River at Rock Island, Illinois, across the river from Davenport, first rose above flood stage on March 15 as water from melting snow in upstream tributaries flowed into the Mississippi River.

"Rounds of additional rain in Iowa and Illinois and a melt of snow cover from some April storms pushed the river higher since late April," Erdman added.

On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard closed a five-mile stretch of the Mississippi River near St. Louis to boat and barge traffic, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

“The Mississippi is closed to all vessel traffic due to extremely high water levels and fast-moving currents," U.S. Coast Guard public affairs officer Brandon Giles told the newspaper.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Thursday for Wayne County after this week's heavy rains left widespread flooding, the AP reports.

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said an estimated 3,000 homes in the county, including homes in Detroit, have been damaged by the flooding that also forced authorities to close a stretch of the Southfield Freeway in both directions.

(MORE: Next: Severe Thunderstorms, Isolated Tornadoes)

In other areas throughout the Midwest and the South, flooding has made roads impassable and forced the closure of two Mississippi River bridges in Quincy, Illinois, and Louisiana, Missouri.

All along the Mississippi River, communities continue to sandbag in an attempt to stave off floodwaters.

Grafton Mayor Rick Eberlin told reporters roads were closing around the town that is 40 miles north of St. Louis and has no flood walls or levees. He noted that waters were beginning to encroach the town hall, the AP reported.

"We are at our wits end," Eberlin said. "We are totally unprotected."

About 40 miles northwest of St. Louis, the towns of Winfield and Foley saw flash flooding after a levee overtopped, according to emergency personnel.

In Hannibal, Missouri, the Mississippi is expected to crest Friday afternoon at the third-highest level on records , the Hannibal Courier-Post reports. The city, which issued a state of emergency declaration Wednesday morning, plans to raise the height of flood gates and the levee will be raised as a precaution.

The town of West Alton, Missouri, home to about 500 residents, is under a voluntary evacuation order.

"We've been through this before," West Alton Emergency Management Director Gary Machens told the Associated Press. "It's part of living in a floodplain."

At least seven deaths are attributed to this week's flooding and severe weather.

The body of Martha Patricia Torres-Regalado, 44, was found in a drainage ditch Friday after her car became stranded in high water. A second woman traveling with Torres-Regalado left the vehicle to seek help but returned to find Torres-Regalado gone from the vehicle. Her body was found several blocks away in the drainage ditch, the AP reports.

Police recovered the body of 23-year-old kayak paddler Alex Ekern from a flooded Missouri creek Thursday after he and another paddler went missing.

The victim was one of three paddlers who ran into trouble on Wednesday when their kayaks went over a low-water bridge and became caught in a hydraulic, which churns up the water like a washing-machine and is difficult to escape. Authorities continue to search for the second victim, while a third paddler managed to escape the hydraulic, the AP reports.

A 2-year-old boy was killed Thursday when his mother drove past a "high water" sign in Wabash County, Indiana, and into a flooded road.

Earlier in the week, a man was killed in Missouri he was swept away by flash flooding and three others died in Oklahoma.

Storms Continue

A multi-day rash of storms hitting parts of Texas through the Ohio Valley continued on Friday.

Damage was reported to several industrial buildings by a possible tornado early Friday in Fayette County, Texas.

The storms spawned numerous tornadoes, and dumped heavy rain this week, overturning trucks, damaging homes and forcing many to seek higher ground. Four tornadoes that touched down in central Arkansas Thursday were confirmed Friday by the National Weather Service, including an EF1 twister.

Scattered severe thunderstorms will continue to flare up from Texas into parts of the mid-Atlantic through Friday, producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and potentially a few tornadoes. Heavy rainfall from these storms could also trigger flash flooding.
Heavy storms across central Italy kill three people and cause damages. One death was caused by lightning, one by a tornado, and one by getting caught in a flood.