Southeast tornadoes: 4 killed in Alabama, Louisiana and Kentucky after storms slam region

At least four people were killed and over a dozen others hurt as suspected tornadoes slammed the southern U.S. on Monday, destroying homes and buildings, downing trees and causing power outages, officials said.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 21

Tornadoes Carl Estes searches for books and other items from his church on County Road 911 that was completely destroyed by a tornado in Guntown, Miss., Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. (Thomas Wells/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP/Thomas Wells/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP)

The death toll rose to four after heavy overnight rains caused flooding in Greenup County, Kentucky. Water rescue crews were called in Tuesday to aid two people, and at least one of them died, Kentucky State Police Trooper Bobby King told The Associated Press.

According to The Associated Press, one of the deaths came when an apparent twister hit a home near Rosepine, Louisiana. Betty Patin, 59, was killed, the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Monday evening.

“The mobile home in which Patin resided was destroyed by the storm,” the department said.

Nearly 540 miles away in Town Creek, Alabama, a married couple also died in the storm, Lawrence County sheriff’s officials told AL.com. Lawrence County Coroner Scott Norwood identified the couple as Justin Godsey, 35, and Keisha Cross, 24, according to WVTM. Their son, Landen, was in critical condition Tuesday at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, WVTM reported.

Overall, “more than two dozen” possible twisters struck the region, mostly in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, according to CNN.

Several residents took to social media to share videos from the storm and its aftermath. You can see some of them below:

© 2019 Cox Media Group