Louisiana put on high alert as tornado kills mother and toddler

A tornado has overturned a mobile home in Louisiana, killing a mother and her three-year-old daughter as a storm system with hurricane-force winds crawled across the Deep South, damaging homes and businesses.

Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards put the state on "high alert" and warned residents to stay off the roads. He urged people to keep their mobile phones charged and close by so they can get weather alerts through the day.