Tornado outbreak in several Gulf Coast states. Fatalities rising, widespread destruction of homes

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Tuesday February 23, 2016 · 7:24 PM PST

2016/02/23 · 19:24

Multiple states have declared a state of emergency, although in some cases it was more a precaution than a reaction. However, the tornadoes most recently passed through Pensacola and communities to its northeast, causing many buildings to collapse, a water main break, a gas leak, the blockage of Interstate 10, among other issues.

From NBC News, recapping the earlier tornado activity in Louisiana and Mississippi:

A damaging storm system that spun off multiple tornadoes in Louisiana and Mississippi killed at least three people and critically injured at least seven more as it moved through the South, with more twisters likely to come Wednesday along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

Two people were killed as a tornado touched down near the Sugar Hill RV Park northwest of the town of Convent. At least 30 people were treated at hospitals, seven of them in critical condition, said Brandon Keller, a spokesman for the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office.

At a news briefing Tuesday night, Sheriff Willy Martin Jr. described a scene of massive destruction — "almost like something exploded." About 300 people live in about 160 trailers on the site, and at least one remained unaccounted for Tuesday night, Martin said. He urged residents to call and report that they're OK.

(source: www.nbcnews.com/...)

The reports out of Pensacola are breaking, and far more recent. They seem more severe in nature.

A liveblog from a local source is here: www.pnj.com/…

Escambia County (Pensacola) emergency broadcast channel here: www.broadcastify.com/…

Twitter live feed for “Pensacola”: twitter.com/...

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