Houston, March 5 (IANS) From Texas to Tennessee, a number of severe storms have battered large parts of the US South with winds, hail, plumes of dust and tornadoes, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.

More than 400,000 homes, businesses and other utility customers across five states — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee — are without power, according to PowerOutage.us.

The National Weather Service confirmed a brief EF1 tornado hit the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Irving in northern Texas earlier on Tuesday, with damage spread over a few blocks, Xinhua news agency reported.

More than 375 flights to or from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport have been cancelled, according to airline tracker FlightAware.com. Another 660 were delayed.

Nearly nine million people are under a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe weather. This includes cities such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport in Louisiana, Mobile in Alabama and Jackson in Mississippi.

In Lewisville, Texas, a warehouse for Benjamin Moore Paints was seen torn open after a suspected tornado ripped through. Part of the warehouse collapsed and the debris buried semi-trailers and other vehicles nearby, local media reported.

Much of the East can expect a washout on Wednesday as the storm’s center moves into the Northeast. The system will bring periods of rain, gusty winds and the potential for thunderstorms as a cold front approaches.

In Oklahoma, another confirmed EF1 tornado heavily damaged a volunteer fire station and snapped numerous trees in Pontotoc County.

Parades for Fat Tuesday, the traditional peak of Louisiana Mardi Gras parades, were officially cancelled in Jefferson Parish, which is part of the greater New Orleans area, due to the weather problems.

The wind damage threat will continue overnight across the Deep South, said a report from the weather.com.

Officials have banned floats and marching bands due to concerns about strong winds. All parades are supposed to be off the street by 11:30 a.m. Police are warning that they may cancel the parades if conditions warrant.

New Orleans is also within that Level 3 out of 5 severe weather threat, which includes risks of damaging winds, hail and even tornadoes.

Winter isn’t over yet as a snowy scene played out on Monday about 40 miles from the Las Vegas Strip.

While the desert climate of Las Vegas doesn’t lead to snow, the mountains surrounding the city receive decent amounts of powder each year. This makes them a popular destination for skiers who visit Sin City.

–IANS

int/khz