Southeast Louisiana Hit by Severe Storms, Tornadoes

The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF3 tornado on the enhanced Fujita scale, with winds between 136 mph and 165 mph, touched down in East New Orleans on Feb. 7. The twister was reported to have caused widespread damage and forced around 100 people from their homes.

The City of New Orleans reported on its website, NOLA.gov, that the tornado path was two to two and one half miles long and that at least 300 properties were affected. That number was later updated to 940 properties damaged or destroyed, but assessments were still ongoing.

The half-mile wide tornado in New Orleans was one of a swarm that touched down as a severe storm system moved through southeastern Louisiana bringing high winds and hail.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said 28 injuries had been reported in the New Orleans region as a result of the storms. Another nine were reported in the Baton Rouge region and two injuries were reported in the area north of Lake Pontchartrain.

Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency due to the destruction caused by the storm system, which moved through Ascension, Livingston, Orleans, St. James, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes.

The first tornado was reported to have touched down near Killian, Louisiana, in southern Livingston Parish.

The NWS estimated that a tornado that touched down east of Donaldsville in St. James Parish was an EF1, and confirmed that an EF0 tornado touched down near Harahan.

The area hit by the EF3 tornado, the 9th Ward in East New Orleans, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

No deaths were immediately reported. In a statement, GOHSEP Director James Waskom said, “The numerous alerts provided by the media, the National Weather Service, local agencies and state agencies likely saved lives considering the widespread damage across the region. We may continue to see more severe weather systems like today’s storms due to our unusually warm winter.”