Tornado Throws House With Girl in Wheelchair, Parents Inside Onto Street

A tornado that swept through the New Orleans-area Arabi neighborhood Tuesday night lifted an entire one-story house off the ground while a girl who uses a wheelchair and her parents were still inside.

The severe weather threw the house into the middle of Prosperity Street, NOLA.com reported. The girl remained in the house even after her parents were able to get out, but a team of first responders was eventually able to carry her out, according to neighbors.

The Arabi neighborhood, which is located in St. Bernard Parish just outside New Orleans, was one of the most severely impacted areas in the region, where thousands were left without power after tornadoes caused severe damage. Parish President Guy McInnis told CNN that one person was killed in the severe weather and seven others had been treated for minor injuries.

After the family's house was lifted and heaved onto the street, authorities conducted a rapid search to find the girl, who is disabled and on a respirator, according to NOLA.com. Chuck Heirsch, one of the family's neighbors, said that he saw the girl's father working to rescue his daughter from the structure.

"They were screaming. His wife was hysterical," Heirsch told NOLA.com. "They were already traumatized from taking that 'Wizard of Oz' ride."

Another resident, Nerissa Ledet, told the news site that all of the men in the neighborhood ran to the house, and she worked to comfort the mother amid the rescue efforts.

McInnis said at a news conference that the girl had been hospitalized and was "doing fine." He did not immediately identify her or her parents.

McInnis did not release information about the individual who had died or the circumstances of their death. The St. Bernard Parish president did announce during the news conference that authorities were planning to open a shelter for those whose residences were impacted by the tornado.

He asked anyone who wanted to assist in recovery and aid efforts in the impacted areas to contact local authorities first before coming.

A separate tornado also touched down in Lacombe in St. Tammany Parish, according to the National Weather Service. St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper tweeted Tuesday evening that the parish had not yet received confirmed reports of injuries or damage to houses.

He has not posted an update on potential injuries or damage.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards tweeted Wednesday morning that he would be traveling to the impacted areas to tour the damage on the ground, meet with local officials and conduct a flyover. He added that he and local officials would hold an afternoon news conference.

In a tweet posted late on Tuesday, Edwards said that his prayers were with the residents of southeastern Louisiana, and he urged them to be safe.

Update 3/23/22, 1:40 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and background.