Tornado watch for St. Mary; Two people killed in Ruston in suspected tornado

A tornado watch is in effect for multiple parishes in Louisiana, including St. Mary, until 3 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Other parishes under the watch are Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John The Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne Vermilion, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says two people have been killed by a tornado that tore through the northern city of Ruston early Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

The tornado caused severe damage to buildings, vehicles and power lines and forced a local university to cancel classes.

National Weather Service hydrologist C. S. Ross says it appears the tornado cut a track over 130 miles from eastern Texas to the Louisiana-Arkansas border.

Louisiana Tech University President Les Guice said on Twitter that classes were canceled Thursday. The university said no students were reported injured.

The tornado was part of a severe weather system that pounded Texas with rain Wednesday, killing a woman and two children caught in flash flood waters.

The storm moved into Mississippi on Thursday morning.