UPDATED: Weather threat closes local schools; tornados reported in New Iberia

Schools in St. Mary and Assumption parishes closed Wednesday in anticipation of a weather system that had already spawned six tornadoes, including one that killed a 30-year-old woman her 8-year-old son in Caddo.

The New Iberia Police Department reported two tornados. No fatalities have been reported, but injured people have been taken to local hospitals.

One of the tornados was reported to have touched down in the Southport Subdivision area, where people were reported to have been trapped by debris.

A temporary shelter has been set up at New Iberia Senior High School.

Tornado warnings were posted through the morning in northeast Iberia and northeast Lafayette parishes, and in southwest portions of St. Martin.

A flood watch was in effect for St. Mary. State offices in St. Mary, Terrebonne and Iberia parishes closed at noon.-

The rain was expected to move out of St. Mary by 6 p.m.

In addition to the school closings, a senior Christmas basket distribution planned for Thursday was also postponed until next month because of the time needed to prepare.

Gov. John Bel Edwards made plans to visit area impacted by Tuesday’s severe weather following a Unified Command Group meeting with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness on Wednesday.

Much of the state remained under a weather threat through Wednesday evening. Initial reports from the National Weather Service indicate six possible tornadoes struck Caddo, Union, Rapides, Madison, East Carroll and Franklin parishes.

NWS teams will continue to investigate the tracks as weather permits.

The tornado in Caddo Parish resulted in the death of the woman and her child. Several other injuries have been reported across the state.

As the initial steps in recovery begin, GOHSEP encourages anyone who received damage from the storms to report their information at damage.la.gov. This self-reporting damage survey will help the state and local officials identify damage impacts in each region. Reporting damage to GOHSEP is extremely important, but voluntary. It does not replace filing a claim with your insurance agency. This is the first step in the recovery process and does not guarantee disaster relief assistance.

The severe weather threat continues in central Louisiana as tornado and flood alerts remain active. The threat is expected to move into southeast Louisiana through Wednesday evening.

"I am heartbroken to learn of the mother and child who were killed in Southwest Caddo Parish due to one of numerous reported tornados," Edwards said. "My prayers go out to the family as well as those who were injured or lost their homes. I will be traveling to the Shreveport area and Union Parish today to tour the damage and response efforts. Unfortunately, this severe weather event is not yet out of our state as it now moves into Central and South Louisiana. Please stay weather aware and follow the directions of local officials."

“It is important for everyone to understand the threat is not over,” said GOHSEP Director Casey Tingle. “As this system has slowed down, it’s caused several inches of rain to fall from southwest Louisiana to central Louisiana. That line, which may include additional wind and tornado threats, may not clear the state until Wednesday evening. We urge everyone to remain weather aware and stay informed. Limit travel if road conditions become dangerous. Look for potential messaging from the National Weather Service, your local media or your local emergency managers.”

Edwards is scheduled to hold a news conference in Caddo Parish at 3 p.m. following a meeting with local leaders and a tour of the impacted areas.