According to media reports, a large tornado ripped through New Orleans, killing at least one person and destroying homes and knocking down power lines, in yet another setback for an area that has yet to fully recover from Hurricane Ida last year.

Photos on social media showed a black funnel cloud coming down in the city and driving across homes, with damage recorded in the Arabi, Gretna, and St. Bernard Parish parishes.

Guy McInnis, president of St. Bernard Parish, told local media that at least one person was slain but provided no other details.

There were no official reports of how many individuals were hurt.

“We had five or six houses totally demolished. There were people in the homes, so far everyone is accounted for,” McInnis said on WDSU television.

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann told NOLA.com that he has received reports of some persons being stranded.

According to NOLA.com, the tornado in Arabi blew off roofs and smashed down trees and power poles.

The severe weather front delivered heavy rain and strong gusts to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, while National Weather Service forecasts warned that up to 5 million people in the region might face hazardous weather.

The severe weather front dumped heavy rain and strong winds on Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, prompting National Weather Service forecasters to warn that up to 5 million people in the region could face hazardous weather.

This is a normal time of year for these events to take place. “Spring is excellent season for severe weather,” says Roger Erickson, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

“Springtime is excellent for severe weather,” said Roger Erickson, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

School districts around the region canceled classes, while Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge shuttered its doors for the day.