At least 3 killed in Louisiana tornado as governor declares state of emergency

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency after tornadoes killed at least three people in his state. 

More than 40 tornadoes have broken out in the south over the past two days, CNN reported.

More than a dozen people have been injured while a mother and her 8-year-old son were among those killed in the storms, the governor's office said.

In the city of Gretna, located across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, as many as 5,000 buildings were likely damaged on Wednesday, Mayor Belinda Constant said.

One tornado touched down in New Orleans on Wednesday, leaving four residents hospitalized with injuries from the storm.

Two schools in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, located just outside of New Orleans, remain closed Thursday due to damage from the weather.

The tornadoes were part of a larger group of storms and severe weather also broke out in northern Texas on Tuesday evening as at least eight tornadoes tore through the region, Fox News reported.