3 dead in Louisiana after tornadoes hit state

Three people are dead in the wake of tornadoes that swept through Louisiana, according to the state Department of Health.

"A 56-year-old [woman] in St. Charles Parish died after a tornado destroyed her house in the Killona area," the department tweeted, bringing the total number of confirmed storm-related deaths to three.

The woman was found outside her home, and authorities have not yet confirmed her cause of death, St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said.

Several other people are seeking treatment at St. Charles Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Champagne said.

Authorities believe a tornado touched down at 2:21 p.m. near Nelson Coleman Correctional Facility in Killona, St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell said. The tornado then moved north toward Montz, with surveys of preliminary damage suggesting that the worst of the damage is in Killona, Jewell said.

"This community got hit really hard during Ida," Champagne said. "They didn’t need this again."

At least 15 to 20 families in Killona have had their homes damaged by the storm, Jewell said.

The sheriff called Wednesday's storm "horrific and violent," as authorities continue their search-and-rescue efforts. "They just can’t seem to catch a break," he said.

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A woman and her 8-year-old son were also killed when a tornado swept through their town on Tuesday, officials said.

The body of Yoshiko Smith, 30, was found under debris one street over from her destroyed home in Keithville, according to the sheriff's office and coroner's office in Caddo Parish.

The body of her son, Nikolus Little, was found in a wooded area near their house, officials said.

Both were killed by blunt force trauma, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. No other fatalities were reported.

On Wednesday afternoon, at least one person was killed and several others were injured after a possible tornado hit west of New Orleans, a local official said.

These deadly tornadoes were among at least 24 reported twisters across the South since Tuesday afternoon. More tornadoes are expected on Wednesday as the storm moves east.

Nearly 45,000 customers are without power, according to electric company Entergy.

Officials in St. Bernard Parish, east of the French Quarter, confirmed that a tornado touched down in Arabi and caused significant damage. Police and firefighters were assessing the damage.

ABC News' Victoria Arancio, Christopher Looft, Emily Shapiro, Ahmad Hemingway, Max Golembo and Joshua Hoyos contributed to this report.

3 dead in Louisiana after tornadoes hit state originally appeared on abcnews.go.com