WBRZ - Baton Rouge

HOUSTON - Five passengers and two flight attendants were hurt after a flight from Tampa to Houston hit severe turbulence over Louisiana this morning. The United Airlines pilots declared an emergency so they would be given priority upon landing in Houston. A Houston airport spokeswoman said at least 3 people were taken to the hospital; the extent of their injuries were not known. The jet hit severe turbulence over Lake Charles. It was not clear whether the turbulence was caused by the same storm system that spawned tornadoes near Dallas on Tuesday.