NEW ORLEANS ― Heartbreak returned to southeast Louisiana Tuesday as seven tornadoes laid waste to the area, including parts of New Orleans that had already seen mass destruction during Hurricane Katrina.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared a state of emergency after tornadoes downed power lines, destroyed homes and other structures, and sent debris flying through the southeastern part of the state. At least 20 people were injured statewide and some 15,000 customers lost power in and around New Orleans.
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A woman looks at the wreckage caused by a tornado that touched down along Chef Menteur Avenue on Tuesday in New Orleans.
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Sharon Walter’s 84-year-old mother, Joyce, was driving to her home when a wood plank ripped through her side window and into the dash, hitting her in the head.
When Joyce got to her home, the windows all began to shatter from the gusting winds. Walter came to help her mother.
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The piece of wood inside the car that hit Sharon Walter's mother in the head.
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“My mom has here during Katrina,” Walter told HuffPost. “She did not get flooded, but the wind took the roof off. It took years to get the house back to how it was before the tornado. In fact, my husband and I just put this porch roof on less than a month ago.”
Walter’s mother is safe but “devastated,” she said.
“Everything is hitting her,” Walter said. “She just had a bad car accident and had just got her car back, and now this happens. We’re trying to clean up [her house] as much as possible to help her state of mind. She’s going through a lot of emotions.”
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Sharon Walter and her son, Daniel Wilson, clean up debris outside Walter's mother's house.
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The 9th Ward of New Orleans, which was heavily flooded during Katrina, saw some of the worst damage, according to The Associated Press.
At least seven homes were damaged in Livingston Parish northwest of New Orleans, according to Fox News. Severe weather also struck Mississippi and Alabama as several storm fronts opened up.
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A man walks through the debris of what was once a motel on Chef Menteur Avenue after a tornado touched down Tuesday in New Orleans.
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A police officer walks through a damaged gas station along Chef Menteur Avenue.
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Tornado damage is seen in New Orleans on Wednesday.
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A man stands inside his New Orleans business Tuesday after a tornado ripped off its roof.
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A tornado toppled trees and devastated nearby buildings in east New Orleans.
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Damaged telephone poles on Chef Menteur Avenue.
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A man sits next to the side of a building after a tornado touched down along Chef Menteur Avenue.
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Damaged buildings near Chef Menteur Avenue.
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Tornado damage near Chef Menteur Avenue.
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A woman holds three dogs by a make-shift leash among the debris left behind by a tornado.
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Cars are covered with bricks after a tornado touched down along Chef Menteur Avenue.
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A little girl plays with a broken stick among the debris that was left behind by a tornado.
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This post has been updated with the experiences of Sharon Walter and her mother.
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