Apocalyptic scenes in Louisiana and New Orleans after four huge tornadoes flip cars and trash homes

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Parts of eastern New Orleans are looking like a disaster area following a line of severe weather that blew through the city on Tuesday morning.

An enormous storm flipped over cars, tore the roofs off homes, ripped through a gas station canopy, broke tall power poles off their foundations, and left a couch resting improbably on a pile of debris in the middle of a road.

Hail as big as ping-pong balls was observed near Kenner, Louisiana. More than 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in southeastern Louisiana because of the storms. 

Gregory Rugon climbs out of his home after failing to find his glasses that he lost taking cover after a tornado hit his Warren Drive home

Gregory Rugon looks for his glasses at the spot where he took cover in his home after a tornado hit his East New Orleans home

At least 4 reported tornadoes have touched down in southeast Louisiana Tuesday, including New Orleans. These images were captured by Sam Girault, a New Orleans resident from the window of his home

A man walks down the street past destroyed homes after a tornado tore through the eastern part of New Orleans

Silas Battie walks around the east New Orleans neighborhood after a tornado touchdown

A separate storm with a radar-confirmed tornado caused major damage to the New Orleans East area near Michoud. Shortly after the supercell passed through, severe damage to homes and businesses was reported by local media.

One driver was trapped in his truck by power lines that wrapped around the cab.

As the storm blew over New Orleans, the sun could only be seen on the faraway horizon, below dark grey thunderheads that seemed to turn the day into night. 

New Orleans East is home to at least 65,000 residents, down from 95,000 prior to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the area in 2005. New Orleans East is a neighborhood in the city's Ninth Ward. 

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu says there are initial reports of dozens of minor injuries and two more serious injuries. A spokesman for the Emergency Medical Service described most of those injured Tuesday as 'walking wounded,' with minor cuts and scrapes.

City officials say about 10,000 homes are without power and there are reports of gas leaks in the area.

Police Chief Michael Harrison says they've closed Interstate 10 eastbound from Downman to Interstate 510 and westbound from I-510 to the Downman exit. That covers most exits that would go into the affected areas. He urged people to stay off the roads and out of the affected areas.

Harrison says patrols are doing house-by-house searches in the neighborhoods to make sure no one's trapped by falling debris or other damage.

Eastern New Orleans resident James Thomas says his whole neighborhood shows storm damage, but his house escaped a tornado with a near miss.

He says, 'It's bad. I've never seen it this bad.' He says 'As far as I can see, treetops are off, power lines down.'

Thomas says he saw the twister coming, grabbed his motorcycle helmet and ran into his bathroom.

Damage was reported late Tuesday morning in and around New Orleans as severe storms battered Louisiana 

CCTV footage caught the moment the tornado ripped through a parking lot in New Orleans

A truck exploded as power lines were downed and ferociously strong winds blew through

Debris lines the parking lot as the tornado plows through, near Airline Highway in New Orleans

A boy holds his dog after a tornado tore through the neighborhood. It's not clear if there were any serious injuries

He says the room went pitch-black, he heard hail on the window, and came outside afterward to see a damage trail or about 20 to 40 feet from his house. 

Officials say at least seven homes have been damaged in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.

Deputy Emergency Management Director Brandi Janes says two of the houses were completely destroyed.

Janes said she knows of two injuries in the parish, both minor. She didn't immediately have any information on whether the homes that were destroyed were occupied when the storm struck.

Artie Chaney reacts to her damaged home after a tornado struck while she and family members took cover inside

Linda Pierre, left, and April Williams look around the east New Orleans neighborhood . At least three tornadoes touchdown causing damage to buildings

Lisa Carruth hugs her granddaughter Juayonna Carruth after a tornado tore whisked by

The National Weather Service says at least four  tornadoes have touched down, including one inside the New Orleans city limits. Buildings have been damaged and power lines are down

Eshon Trosclair holds her son Camron Chapital after a tornado tore through home

She says they are working to get trees out of roadways and with the Red Cross to get help to damaged areas. 

Mike Saia, who works at a marina on the Tchefuncte  River near Lake Pontchartrain, evacuated his office during one of numerous tornado warnings.

Saia watched the storm through a surveillance camera that feeds an app on his iPhone. He said it passed right over the marina but he saw no sign of any funnels or any damage to the marina. He did say there is debris from trees littering the roadways in the area.

Not far from the marina, a possible tornado was reported in the town of Madisonville, according to reports from the National Weather Service. 

Press Secretary Sean Spicer says the White House is monitoring the severe weather going through Louisiana. He says President Donald Trump is aware of the situation and is going to be reaching out to local and state officials throughout the day.

Spicer says Trump also concurred with the FEMA administrator's recommendation to approve Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant's request to add public assistance to the previously issued major disaster declaration for his state.

Spicer says that in accordance with Bryant's request, public assistance will be added for three counties; Forrest, Lamar and Perry.

Severe thunderstorms swept across the Gulf Coast region, where at least four damaging tornadoes and large hail were observed in parts of southeastern Louisiana, including New Orleans 

Lisa Carruth reacts as she surveys the damage. In Livingston Parish, at least seven homes were damaged and two minor injuries were reported

People react to damage after a tornado tore through eastern New Orleans which also bore the brunt of Katrina in 2005

It was not immediately known if there were any injuries or deaths in New Orleans East but people are relieved to be alive

A man looks at a destroyed home after a tornado tore through.New Orleans East is home to at least 65,000 residents, down from 95,000 prior to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the area in 2005

Hail as big as ping-pong balls was observed near Kenner, Louisiana. More than 10,000 homes and businesses lost power in southeastern Louisiana because of the storms

Yoshekia Brown lost everything to Hurricane Katrina. Now she's lost everything again, to a tornado.

Three-quarters of her home in East New Orleans is collapsed. She says her living room and front bedroom are gone. Luckily her 2-year-old son and three dogs have survived.

She says her home was insured, but she's not sure what to do next.

And despite being struck twice by disaster, she's telling herself that 'something good has to come from this.'

The Chaney family of East New Orleans survived the tornado, but just barely.

Kimberly Chaney was trying to record it when her mother pulled her inside, just in time. Four of them huddled in a middle bedroom as the twister hit, knocking down part of the roof and blowing out the windows.

She says their cars all were totaled, and her niece is worried because her computer was damaged with her homework stuck inside.

She says she told her: 'It's a natural disaster. Your teacher will understand.'