April 15 (UPI) -- Tornadoes killed several people over the weekend and forecasters warned Monday there could be more as the storm system moves northeast.
The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for early Monday along parts of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and New York. Winds up to 70 mph were expected in some locations.
The storm caused widespread damage and knocked out power to 125,000 homes and businesses across the South, including Kentucky and Missouri, over the weekend. Hail forced Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to cancel nearly 700 flights.
Authorities raised the death toll to at least seven.
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The storm stretched as far north as Shelby, Ohio, where officials say a tornado destroyed homes and knocked over trees and power lines. In the East Texas town of Pollok, two children died when a tree fell on the car they were riding in. In Alto, Texas, the storm hit during a Native American ceremony, and one woman died after being hit by debris.
The confirmed EF-3 tornado hit the town of Franklin over the weekend, about two hours east of Waco. The long-track tornado damaged 55 homes, a church, four businesses, a duplex and part of a local housing authority. Many people were trapped in their damaged homes.
"It's hard to describe," Franklin Police Chief Terry Thibodeaux said. "You've got houses turned over. You've got houses off foundations. It looks like a bomb."
Two more deaths were reported in Louisiana, including a 13-year-old boy who drowned in a drainage ditch. Another was found dead in a submerged vehicle on Interstate 20. In Hamilton, Ala, a 95-year-old man, identified as Alan Gurley, died when a tree fell on his mobile home.
Several were injured when a tornado hit homes and businesses in Hamilton. The storm also damaged the Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department station and destroyed the Monroe County Morgue. In Vickburg, Miss., a possible tornado hit a Kroger and surrounding shopping center, breaking windows and causing minor damage.
In Missouri, high winds damaged the roof of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, which dates back to 1834.
