Flash flooding washes out downtown New Orleans as brutal storms slamming the ... trends now

Severe storms are battering the Gulf Coast, bringing flash floods and tornado warnings for millions from Texas to the Florida panhandle. 

Flooding and high winds have shut down roads across the south, prompting schools and offices to close Wednesday. 

Heavy rain, flash flooding and severe weather threat associated with an intensifying low pressure system is forecast to sweep across the region, according to the National Weather Service

'We believe there will be double-digit tornadoes produced by the severe weather outbreak, and multiple tornadoes could be on the ground at the same time on Wednesday despite less-than-perfect atmospheric conditions,' AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

Forecasters said strong damaging winds, which may exceed 75 mph, could wreak havoc across the region knocking down trees and poles.

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As of 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, 172,226 customers are without power in Louisiana, 49,231 in Mississippi and 45,318 in Texas, according to Poweroutage.us.

Here is what is happening across the Gulf Coast 

In the Lone Star State, several people were rescued from homes and vehicles Wednesday morning when flooding inundated parts of Jasper County, near the Louisiana line, authorities said.

'The City of Kirbyville remains under water and is still the major concern at this time,' the Jasper County Sheriff's Office said on social media.

All major roads into Kirbyville, a town of about 2,000 people, were shut down early Wednesday due to the flooding, the sheriff's office said.

In Louisiana, state office buildings closed Wednesday since the storms were expected to blast the state during rush hour, the governor's office announced.

Officials also asked drivers to limit travel if possible and warned that high winds were expected to affect large trucks.

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