1 death reported as rare 'particularly dangerous situation' alert warns of tornado danger
A tornado outbreak threatened parts of the South on Saturday, prompting forecasters to issue a rare "particularly dangerous situation" alert amid severe storms that have killed at least one person and damaged homes and a fire station, according to preliminary reports.
Millions of people were under tornado watches on Saturday in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas. Multiple more dangerous tornado warnings were also issued throughout Saturday. (The National Weather Service maintains a list of current tornado alerts, which change frequently as tornado threats develop and pass.)
The "particularly dangerous situation" wording is used in "rare situations when long-lived, strong and violent tornadoes are possible," the weather service said. "Numerous" tornadoes are expected, forecasters said.
'Completely completely destroyed': Tornadoes cause damage, death, and injuries
Dan Davis is the mayor of Manvel, Texas, a city located in Brazoria County. Davis posted about a death in the county on Facebook Saturday and confirmed the death to Paste BN via email stating that it occurred around the CR 191 and Highway 35 area of Brazoria County.
Davis also says that four people sustained injuries and that homes are "completely completely destroyed, and a lot of other property damaged." He also adds that he's in contact with other Brazoria County mayors and state leaders about recovery efforts for the area.
According to a preliminary report cited by the Storm Prediction Center, multiple homes were destroyed between Alvin and Liverpool, Texas, when a possible tornado went through the area Saturday afternoon. In Montgomery County, mobile homes were damaged, and a roof was ripped off a home.
The East Montgomery County Fire Department said in a post on Facebook that Station 154 had sustained "extensive damage" from a tornado, but said there were no injuries reported.
Paste BN has reached out to the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office for more information.
One tornado is suspected to have touched down in Katy, Texas, in the Houston metro area, according to videos posted to social media by AccuWeather and other meteorologists.
In Dermott, Arkansas, which was under a severe thunderstorm warning Saturday morning, forecasters said: "This destructive storm will contain baseball sized hail!"
The storms come after a previous round of weather hit parts of Texas and Louisiana on Thursday with multiple tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, AccuWeather reported.
Severe weather warnings and watches map
What's a tornado watch, warning?
A tornado watch happens when weather conditions are prime to spawn tornadoes, and they alert people to be ready to act quickly in and around the area of a watch.
A tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or is indicated by weather radar, and there is imminent danger to life or property. During a tornado warning, people should seek shelter in interior rooms on the lowest floors of study buildings, and keep away from windows.
(This story has been updated to add new information, correct a misspelling/typo, and change headlines.)