HOUMA -- A pregnant woman narrowly escaped serious injury when a tree crashed into the bedroom where she slept this morning during an onslaught of rapidly moving storms that downed multiple poles and trees, in some cases onto cars and houses, and damaged power lines throughout Houma and Thibodaux.

Niya Nell, 24, who is eight months pregnant, was taken by ambulance from her mobile home on Isabelle St. in Houma following the 8:08 a.m. incident there.

Matt Stamey, Houma Courier

Rescuers take an eight months pregnant Niya Nell to a waiting ambulance after she was pulled from her storm-damaged Isabel Street trailer early today.

Her mother, Annie Nell, said she was in the living room when the tree hit.

"I was sitting in here drinking coffee when there was a strong wind, and a tree fell on the back bedroom," Annie Nell said. "I heard my daughter yell, ‘Mamma come see.’ "

Niya Nell told medical workers she was in pain, but she had no visible injuries.

In Thibodaux, heavy winds associated with the passing storms downed power lines, knocking out traffic lights at Audubon Avenue and La. 1 as well as other locations.

On Lagarde St. in Thibodaux, a large tree limb hit a wood-frame house. No one was home at the time.

Winds knocked a tree onto the roof of a home on Pine Street and another tree fell on a house on Church St. No injuries were reported at either address.

Larry Smith Sr., a neighbor of the home on Church Street, said the homeowner "was scared."

"It’s always been leaning over our house," he said. "She was saying she wanted it cut down."

Danielle Manning, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Slidell, said that wind readings in Houma and surrounding areas for most of the early morning were about 20 mph but higher gusts likely occurred in areas with damage.

"It’s ahead of a slow-moving cold front, with storms that are fairly isolated and severe," Manning said. "It is part of an extra-tropical system associated with the front, more of a tropical air mass. Once this front moves through, it should be clear."

Forecasters say you can expect scattered thunderstorms and showers throughout the day, with highs in the low 80s. Overnight, lows are expected to dip into the 60s, and scattered rain is predicted again on Friday. The weekend outlook calls for partly sunny skies and highs in the low to mid 80s.