By Mary Gilbert, Antoinette Radford, Rachel Ramirez, Eric Zerkel, Tori B. Powell and Elise Hammond, CNN
From CNN’s Caroll Alvarado
Multiple people have been transported to a hospital after a possible tornado hit the town of Slidell in Louisiana, according to St. Tammany Parish.
“Some of the worst damage is on Old Spanish Trail near City Drive in Slidell. Multiple people have been transported to the hospital with injuries,” the parish said on its Facebook page.
There are currently two open shelters in the parish, located at John Slidell Park gym and the recreation center in Lacombe, the parish said.
From CNN’s Caroll Alvarado
The Slidell Police Department in Louisiana is working on rescuing people after a possible tornado hit the area on Wednesday, according to Slidell public information officer Daniel Seuzeneau.
“We have water that’s rising right now. We’re trying to get high-water vehicles to these areas to rescue people,” Seuzeneau said in a Facebook video. “Trees are down everywhere; power lines are down everywhere. It’s bad.”
According to Seuzeneau, the police department rescued about 50 people from an apartment complex. Some of the rescued residents had minor injuries, but no fatalities have been reported, Seuzeneau said.
“I pray it stays this way; we have no reports of major injuries or fatalities,” he said. “If we somehow can make it out without any fatalities, it’s a miracle.”
From CNN’s Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeldt in Katy, Texas
An EF-1 tornado struck a Houston suburb early Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The full damage survey was still ongoing Wednesday afternoon, but damage in the town was consistent with an EF-1 tornado packing 90 mph maximum winds, according to the service.
Other information, including the tornado's complete path, will be finalized when survey teams finish assessing damage.
There were no injuries from the storm in Katy, which damaged a strip mall and neighboring car maintenance business.
“We were very fortunate that this didn’t happen just a few hundred yards down,” NWS meteorologist Jeffry Evans said at the scene.
The tornado struck the businesses while they were still closed, which Assistant Fire Chief Mark Donovan said was also a stroke of good luck.
“I think we’re very fortunate that this took place when it did,” said Donovan.
CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert contributed to this report.
From CNN's Eric Zerkel
A video posted to X shows the torrential rainfall New Orleans is dealing with at the moment. The city is under a flash flood emergency until until 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT).
"Emergency management reported many roads in and around New Orleans are currently under water and impassible," the National Weather Service in New Orleans said.
At least 3 inches of rain have fallen in a short period of time, with more expected.
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
A line of powerful and dangerous severe thunderstorms is crossing the Mississippi and Alabama border. The line of storms is showing a bowed shape on radar, a sign it will unleash strong winds in its path.
Wind gusts of 70 mph are possible with any storms in this line in southwest Alabama, according to National Weather Service warnings. Tornado warnings were issued for parts of this line of storms in Louisiana and Mississippi, so prepare for tornadoes in Alabama, too.
The storms will also bring hail and gushing rainfall that could cause flooding issues.
From CNN’s Caroll Alvarado
The police department in Slidell, Louisiana, is warning residents to stay indoors and find a safe place, after a possible tornado hit the area Wednesday morning and left extensive damage in the city.
“This is the real deal,” Daniel Seuzeneau, public information officer for the police department, said in a video posted on Facebook. “The worst is yet to come with this weather. This is no joke. I’ve never seen the damage like I’ve seen right now from just a regular storm like this, a tornado. I can’t stress enough."
Slidell is northeast of New Orleans.
According to the police department, several homes, businesses, apartment complexes, and power lines were damaged in south Slidell.
“We are slammed busy right now, and things are not safe. Road conditions are not safe. Stay home, stay off the roads,” he said.
Videos posted by the Slidell Police Department's Facebook page show downed power lines and damaged businesses.
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
Torrential rainfall has triggered a flash flood emergency for the New Orleans metro and areas to the east until 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT).
More than 400,000 people are at risk for life-threatening flash flooding, the National Weather Service warned.
"This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!" the weather service office in New Orleans warned. "Emergency management reported numerous roads in and around New Orleans are underwater and impassible."
At least 3 inches of rain have already fallen across the city since the early morning hours. Gushing rainfall of up to 2 inches of rain per hour continues to fall across the area.
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
A damaging tornado is tracking through southern Mississippi as storms strengthen in the South.
"At 10:25 am CDT, a confirmed tornado was located near Stennis Space Center, or 10 miles west of Diamondhead, moving northeast at 40 mph," the National Weather Service warned.
From CNN's Eric Zerkel
A line of powerful storms racing across Louisiana Wednesday morning produced wind gusts so strong that they were akin to the winds found in a Category 1 hurricane.
A wind gust of 83 mph was reported in Hackberry, in Cameron Parish, around 15 miles southwest of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Category 1 hurricanes have winds of at least 74 mph, but those are sustained winds, and this report was just a singular, sudden burst of wind. Regardless, the storm was capable of significant damage.
The dangerous storms prompted the National Weather Service in New Orleans to issue the highest possible severe thunderstorm warning on Wednesday morning, telling people in parts of Baton Rouge to prepare for "destructive ... hurricane-force" winds that could easily damage homes and knock out power.
A wind gust of 71 mph was reported in east New Orleans with several other gusts topping 60 mph across the state.
