Destructive, Wide-Ranging U.S. Storm To Finally Wind Down Thursday.

Texas Storm Chasers posted this photo of tornado damage
in Irving, Texas on Tuesday.

Just as expected, an enormous windbag of a storm has caused havoc this week from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast. 

Two people were reported dead in Mississippi as the severe storms rolled through Tuesday.  Po wer was out to more than 400,000 homes and businesses in several states across the South and Midwest.

The storm disrupted Mardi Gras, or at least tried to, in New Orleans Tuesday as the city was under a tornado watch and high wind warning. The National Weather Service had warned revelers to be careful, in part because winds could topple Mardi Gras floats. 

Some of the biggest parades were held earlier than scheduled and shortened to avoid the worst of the weather. 

No tornadoes struck near New Orleans, but the city endured downpours and gusts as high as 53 mph. 

Minnesota traffic cameras showed miserable 
conditions this morning as blizzards hit swaths
of the Midwest, part of a large storm hitting
huge parts of the nation

At least seven tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma, northwest Louisiana and possibly Texas on Tuesday. Tuesday's tornado count will likely rise as damage is analyzed. A few more tornadoes are possible today in the Southeast.  There's even a very low, but not zero chance of a brief twister as far northwest as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania today.

In Texas, the larger problem was brush fires. One brush fire amid the 50 mph winds destroyed 10 buildings, while another south of San Antonio destroyed 17 structures, including nine homes.

The strong winds also blew clouds of dust from West Texas into cities like Austin and Dallas, sharply cutting visibility and prompting air quality alerts. 

Further north, blizzards struck parts of the Plains and Midwest. While snow totals were not extraordinary, but still substantial in spots. Areas near Minneapolis-St. Paul were closing in on a foot of new snow this morning. 

The wind has been extraordinary, though.    Gusts commonly reached between 50 and 70 mph. Hugoton, in western Kansas, had a gust to 93 mph. 

The storm was forecast to move off into Canada today, while throwing a flood threat at sections of New England and New York as a parting shot. 

Videos

Footage of fast-moving wildfires in Bexar County, Texas, near San Antonio, with winds gusting to at least 50 mph. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that. 

Kind of a happy post, really, but this one is costumed characters at the New Orleans Mardi Gras deal with strong winds amid the party. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that.