A mammoth and multifaceted storm – which was dealing wind, fire, choking dust and the threat of a blizzard – pummeled much of the country as it marched east.

Severe weather threats persisted a day after stormy winds forced changes to Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, which moved up and shortened its two biggest parades.

Dust storms blinded drivers in the Southwest, tornadoes were possible in the South and blizzard conditions descended on the Central Plains.

Over two dozen reports of thunderstorm wind damage or high wind gusts have been received by the National Weather Service in the western Carolinas and far southern Virginia so far Wednesday. Most of those are for downed trees or power lines, some on houses.

A tornado punctuated a severe thunderstorm that blew through Ada, Oklahoma early Tuesday morning as part of a sprawling severe weather outbreak that brought tornado and wind damage to multiple states.

Both tornadoes spawned winds of 100 to 105 mph, leveling buildings as they stormed through central Oklahoma at approximately 5:10 a.m. local time