Tornado damage reported in Louisiana as storm moves east

By Rich McKay

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A tornado and strong winds tore a roof off a health club and flipped a delivery truck in Louisiana on Tuesday, and more severe weather was expected as the storm system moved east, forecasters said.

Damage was localized to spots near New Orleans and east of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, including the Prairieville and Livingston areas, said Alek Krautmann, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New Orleans. No injuries had been reported.

"We still expect more possible tornado outbreaks in the area and more as the storm moves into Mississippi," he said. "We expect a significant threat."

Schools and government offices canceled classes or closed early in Louisiana and Mississippi as warnings of tornadoes and other severe weather such as thunderstorms were issued across a swath of the U.S. South.

"The last place you want to be is outside or in a car on the road," Krautmann said. "We’re warning people to stay indoors and be weather conscious."

On Tuesday afternoon, parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia were under flood and flash flood watches.

The National Weather Service said Alabama could see tornadoes with damaging winds up to 70 miles per hour (113 km per hour) and golf-ball size hail into the early hours of Wednesday.

By midnight, the severe weather was expected to hit southwestern Georgia and could reach Atlanta and central Georgia before the morning rush hour on Wednesday, said Adam Baker, a meteorologist for the weather service’s Atlanta office.

One to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm) of rain were expected, although Atlanta and other isolated areas could see 3 inches or more, Baker said.

"We’re really concerned that this could catch people off guard," he said. "We need people to listen to weather warnings in their area."

(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Lisa Shumaker)