VIDEO: Strong winds knock train cars off the tracks

Tuesday, April 28, 2015, 8:40 AM - The video above gives you a good idea how severe this week's storms have been in the southern United States.

The winds from the storms were strong enough to blow several railway cars off the tracks as that train passed over an elevated rail bridge in Jefferson Parish, near New Orleans, Louisiana.

The exact number that were dislodged isn't clear (ABC News says it was 11, but the company that manages the tracks said it was four), but no one was injured and the cars were not carrying any hazardous materials.

Although it looks like dusk, it was actually around 10:30 a.m. when the incident took place. Those dark skies are indicative of how intense this week's storms have been.

Pounding rains of more than 60 mm in less than an hour, winds of more than 100 km/h and strong thunderstorms lashed a wide area from Texas to Louisiana.

At one point, tornado warnings were issued, including one covering part of the New Orleans metropolitan area. At least one twister was spotted by an observer at the Naval Station Joint Air Reserve Base in the area.

The storm knocked out more to more than 150,000 customers in the New Orleans area at its height.

As well, once the storms passed, strong winds persisted for some time, triggering strong storm surge that was a risk to sea traffic and coastal infrastructure.

SOURCE: ABC | Accuweather | Washington Post