Tornado rips LaPlace damaging homes, injuring residents
As severe thunderstorms ripped their way through areas of the South on Tuesday, St. Charles Parish reported minor damage despite an intense day of at least three possible tornadoes reported by area residents.
“We were just very fortunate,” said Jason Tastet, interim director of parish Emergency Management Operations (EOC). “It could be much worse. We could be doing clean up today.”
With South Louisiana under tornado warnings into the evening, the parish braced for intense thunderstorms with the potential of rotational winds and tornadoes that came in two waves, one in the morning and the second in the evening.
Warnings had been issued of potential tornado development and residents asked to monitor weather alerts. Tastet said tornado warnings were issued parishwide at 10:45 a.m. and again at 11:15 a.m.
Closures were announced for parish public schools, recreational activities were cancelled, public facilities such as the courthouse and Arterbury Building in New Sarpy were closed early, early voting was ended, and even garbage services were disrupted by the impending storm. All services resumed on Wednesday.
Morning storms caused minor damage in the parish.
Tastet confirmed minor damage had been reported by apparent rotational winds as of noon today in the areas of Magnolia Ridge and Ama.
A workshop was damaged in Boutte. Vinyl siding was blown off a home in Ama, and another home in Ama had their chicken coup destroyed.
In neighboring Jefferson Parish, a confirmed tornado landed in the city of Kenner at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Damaged vehicles, roofs and trees, as well as power outages were reported from the storm.
Tastet said not confirmed tornadoes landing in these areas yet, but they had been reported to the National Weather Service for assessment.
The National Weather Service in New Orleans received several reports confirming a brief tornado in St. Charles Parish, according to its Twitter feed. No location was specified. Tastet said the EOC boosted staffing for increased storm monitoring and response through the severe weather.
“As it turned out throughout the day, it depended on what cells passed over our area,” he said. “We were fortunate that we didn’t get the worst of them.”
By Wednesday morning, he confirmed the parish had not been affected by the storm cells that tore through other areas of Louisiana.
At about 4 a.m., the weather system unleashed a tornado in neighboring LaPlace downing power lines, trees and causing extensive damage to residences. An estimated 1,624 residents were out of power with additional outages scattered throughout St. John the Baptist Parish.
Tastet said the parish responded to a call from St. John parish for EMS units. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed it supported St. James Parish’s call for K-9 support.
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