Strong storms pummel La., Miss.

NEW ORLEANS - Strong storms pounded Louisiana and Mississippi earlier on Easter Sunday killing at least six people in south Mississippi – in Walthall (1), Lawrence (2) and Jefferson Davis (3) counties - and damages were to about 300 homes and other buildings in north Louisiana. All three Mississippi counties are more than an hour's drive south of Jackson, near the Louisiana state line. The National Weather Service said strong winds were sweeping through other parts of Mississippi. A tornado was spotted north of Meridian. The weather service reported multiple tornadoes and damaging winds across north Louisiana. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries, but thousands of power outages. The mayor of Monroe, La., Jamie Mayo, told KNOE-TV that flights were canceled at Monroe Regional Airport, where siding was ripped off buildings and debris scattered on runways. Airport Director Ron Phillips told the News-Star the storm caused up to $30M in damage to planes inside a hangar. The weather service said the greatest risk for strong storms throughout Sunday into early Monday covered much of Mississippi, Alabama and western Georgia. (Source: The AP 04/12/20)