Tornadoes were reported in Texas and Louisiana as an intense line of storms slammed over Thursday night, bringing damaging winds of up to 75 mph.
The big picture: Tornado watches were issued for some 3.8 million people in Texas and across the South Thursday night, as the storm system caused widespread power outages in Texas and hundreds of flights into and out of Dallas Fort-Worth Airport were canceled.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday ordered freight train operator Norfolk Southern to test for toxic pollutants that could have been released as a result of the company's decision to burn vinyl chloride from cargo on its derailed train in East Palestine, Ohio.
Why it matters: Norfolk Southern had at the time said that burning the cargo was necessary to prevent the threat of explosions from the hazardous materials in the train, but has since faced heightened scrutiny over the move and its possible impacts on the surrounding community and environment.
