Power cuts in seven states as deadly winter storm and tornadoes hit US- PublishedA fierce winter storm has left a trail of destruction across the southern US, devastating communities and killing three people in Louisiana.One Louisiana resident, Michael Willis, told the BBC's US partner CBS that a close encounter with a tornado near the town of Harvey was "the scariest thing" he has ever experienced.The tornado lifted him up while he was sitting in his car, a large SUV, while debris smashed through his windshield and passenger window.As of 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Thursday, about 10,000 people were still without power in various parts of the state, according to the website poweroutage.us."This system is notable for the fact that it's going to impact areas all the way from California to eventually the Northeast," National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira told CBS."