St. Martin Parish (BREAUX BRIDGE, La.) — A mother and her young daughter are dead after an EF-1 tornado ripped through Breaux Bridge, a rural section of southern Louisiana, on Sunday morning.
The tornado caused their trailer to flip off its blocks, according to Major Ginny Higgins with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, killing Francine Gotch, 38, and 3-year-old daughter Neville Alexander.
“It came very, very quickly, and the winds were very strong,” Higgins said.
Officials warned residents the weather is expected to get worse. According to the Storm Prediction Center, parts of Louisiana are at a high risk for tornadoes, a warning that’s seen only a few times a year.
“People should know that the storm system moving across Louisiana is just getting started,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “By no means is it over or close to getting over. And it is an extremely dangerous weather event.”
The governor also urged people to stay off the roads.
“A car is no place to shelter, and it’s not just cars. Very large trucks, mobile homes any type of vehicle has the potential to be very unsafe,” he said.
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.