A fierce winter storm has left a trail of destruction across the southern US, devastating communities and killing three people in Louisiana. The weather has also left tens of thousands without power across six states. Several east coast states are forecast to be hit by snow and freezing rain late on Thursday and into Friday. The storm system has also brought blizzard-like conditions to the Midwest. In Louisiana, officials have so far confirmed three deaths and dozens of injuries as a result of the storm. In one incident, a 56-year-old woman in St Charles Parish near New Orleans was killed after a tornado destroyed her home. Communities across the state reported severe damage, including downed power lines and collapsed buildings. In Jefferson Parish – a suburb of New Orleans – the sheriff’s office said that homes and businesses in the area had “suffered catastrophic damage”. One Louisiana resident, Michael Willis, told the BBC’s US partner CBS that a close encounter with a tornado near the town of Harvey was “the scariest thing” he has ever experienced. The tornado lifted him up while he was sitting in his car, a large SUV, while debris smashed through his windshield and passenger window.(BBC)…[+]