Summary of Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes Across Southeast
Louisiana and Southern Mississippi
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
WFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA
An upper-level disturbance that approached the area from the plains
states produced a squall line during the night in eastern Oklahoma,
northeast Texas, and northwest Louisiana. This squall line accelerated
southeastward and interacted with a surge of warm and moist air
from the Gulf of Mexico. As this squall line moved into east-central
Louisiana and extreme southwest Mississippi, the line bowed out,
indicative of strong winds aloft descending to the surface. This
produced damaging winds and tornadoes along the squall line. Wind
damage and hail was rather widespread along the path of this squall
line. Most notable was a tornado that touched down in central Tangipahoa
Parish near Amite and Independence (see figure 2). This tornado
was responsible for one death in Independence as the tornado struck
the LSU Lallie Kemp Hospital facility. It is uncertain if this was
a single-track event or possibly multiple touch downs along the
path of the parent storm. A NWS survey team investigated this area
on Wednesday the 13th.
Other wind damage reports were received from most other parishes
across southeast Louisiana and the adjacent Mississippi counties.
Hail reports were common during the event and ranged from pea (one-quarter
inch diameter) to hen egg (two inch diameter) sizes. Meanwhile,
prior to the squall line sweeping across the area, other strong
to severe thunderstorms formed well in advance of the line over
Lafourche, central Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes. Several reports
of funnel clouds and brief tornado touch downs were noted near Galliano
(Lafourche Parish), Lafitte (Jefferson Parish) and Myrtle Grove
(Plaquemines Parish along the Mississippi River) (see figure 1).
Click here for a full radar loop of
the event.
Below is a summary collection of local storm reports that were
received from various sources during and after the event.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
501 PM CST WED FEB 13 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1235 PM HAIL 2 S MYRTLE GROVE 29.61N 89.95W
02/12/2008 E1.75 INCH PLAQUEMINES LA EMERGENCY MNGR
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED.
1240 PM TORNADO MYRTLE GROVE 29.64N 89.95W
02/12/2008 PLAQUEMINES LA EMERGENCY MNGR
TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN OPEN FIELD. NO DAMAGE REPORTED.
1245 PM TSTM WND DMG CLINTON 30.86N 91.01W
02/12/2008 EAST FELICIANA LA LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN IN VARIOUS
AREAS OF PARISH
1256 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 S LIBERTY 31.13N 90.80W
02/12/2008 AMITE MS BROADCAST MEDIA
HOUSE WITH ROOF DAMAGE.
0110 PM TSTM WND DMG GREENSBURG 30.83N 90.67W
02/12/2008 ST. HELENA LA EMERGENCY MNGR
80 TREES BLOWN DOWN IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS THE
PARISH.
0115 PM TSTM WND DMG SUMMIT 31.28N 90.47W
02/12/2008 PIKE MS EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES ON HOUSE ON HWY. 51.
0123 PM TORNADO 8 E MCCOMB 31.24N 90.33W
02/12/2008 PIKE MS LAW ENFORCEMENT
TORNADO BETWEEN HIGHWAYS 44 AND 570.
0123 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 ENE MCCOMB 31.26N 90.42W
02/12/2008 PIKE MS EMERGENCY MNGR
ROOF OFF OF NORTH PIKE MIDDLE SCHOOL ON HIGHWAY 44.
0125 PM TORNADO 10 SW GREENSBURG 30.73N 90.79W
02/12/2008 ST. HELENA LA PUBLIC
TORNADO SIGHTED WITH DEBRIS IN AIR JUST NORTH OF PINE
GROVE.
0130 PM TSTM WND DMG PRAIRIEVILLE 30.30N 90.97W
02/12/2008 ASCENSION LA EMERGENCY MNGR
SEVERAL TREES BLOWN DOWN IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN
PRAIRIEVILLE AREA.
0145 PM TSTM WND DMG LIVINGSTON 30.50N 90.75W
02/12/2008 LIVINGSTON LA EMERGENCY MNGR
PORTION OF ROOF PEELED OFF COMMERCIAL BUSINESS.
0145 PM TORNADO 1 S INDEPENDENCE 30.62N 90.51W
02/12/2008 F1 TANGIPAHOA LA NWS STORM SURVEY
*** 1 FATAL *** NWS GROUND SURVEY INDICATES A WEAK
TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR LALLIE KEMP
HOSPITAL TURNING AN UNOCCUPIED MOBILE HOME ON ITS
SIDE...PEELED A PORTION OF THE ROOF OF A NEARBY
BUILDING. SEVERAL AUTOMOBILES WERE SHIFTED AND THEIR
WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT. ONE FATALITY OCCURRED WHEN A 51
YEAR OLD WOMAN AND WAS THROWN INTO A VEHICLE IN THE
PARKING LOT. THE TORNADO CIRCULATION CONTINUED EASTWARD
FOR ABOUT A MILE PRODUCING INTERMITTENT DAMAGE PRIMARILY
TO TREES.
0150 PM TSTM WND DMG ROBERT 30.51N 90.34W
02/12/2008 TANGIPAHOA LA EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN.
0150 PM TSTM WND DMG 10 ENE LIVINGSTON 30.56N 90.59W
02/12/2008 LIVINGSTON LA EMERGENCY MNGR
THUNDERSTORM WINDS OR POSSIBLE TORNADO DOWNED SEVERAL
TREES NORTH OF COMMUNITY OF HOLDEN. TREES FELL ON
AUTOMOBILE AND HOUSE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
0153 PM HAIL HAMMOND 30.51N 90.46W
02/12/2008 E0.50 INCH TANGIPAHOA LA BROADCAST MEDIA
WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF MARBLE SIZE HAIL.
0206 PM TSTM WND DMG CROSSROADS 30.78N 89.77W
02/12/2008 PEARL RIVER MS LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN.
0220 PM TORNADO 4 W NORCO 30.00N 90.48W
02/12/2008 ST. CHARLES LA EMERGENCY MNGR
A COUPLE PATROL OFFICERS SIGHTED A TORNADO NEAR MONTZ.
0226 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 NNW COVINGTON 30.52N 90.13W
02/12/2008 ST. TAMMANY LA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE DOWN ON CAR FROM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 35 TO 40 MPH
ALONG WITH HAIL OF UNKNOWN SIZE. NO INJURIES REPORTED.
LOCATION WAS ON FITZGERALD CHURCH ROAD NEAR HWY. 25 AND
MILLION DOLLAR ROAD.
0240 PM TSTM WND DMG POPLARVILLE 30.84N 89.53W
02/12/2008 PEARL RIVER MS LAW ENFORCEMENT
SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED MANY TREES DOWN ON I-59 FROM
POPLARVILLE TO HILLSDALE EXIT, AND SEVERAL LARGE TREES
BLOWN DOWN ON U.S. HIGHWAY 11 NORTH OF PICAYUNE.
0242 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NNE NEW ORLEANS 30.02N 90.06W
02/12/2008 M68.00 MPH ORLEANS LA ASOS
METAR OBSERVATION FROM LAKEFRONT AIRPORT - KNEW.
0245 PM WATER SPOUT 2 NE METAIRIE 30.02N 90.15W
02/12/2008 JEFFERSON LA EMERGENCY MNGR
WATERSPOUT REPORTED OVER LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN ABOUT 100
YARDS OFFSHORE FROM FOOT OF CAUSEWAY BRIDGE.
0245 PM TSTM WND DMG EAST NEW ORLEANS 30.07N 89.93W
02/12/2008 ORLEANS LA BROADCAST MEDIA
SEVERAL TREES BLOWN DOWN ON I-10 SERVICE ROAD BETWEEN
REED AND BULLARD AVE.
0300 PM TSTM WND DMG TERRYTOWN 29.90N 90.03W
02/12/2008 JEFFERSON LA EMERGENCY MNGR
STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS PEELED OFF PART OF ROOF OF
CONVENIENCE STORE.
0317 PM HAIL 5 S HOUMA 29.51N 90.71W
02/12/2008 E2.00 INCH TERREBONNE LA NWS EMPLOYEE
2 INCH HAIL REPORTED WITH GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL COVERING
THE GROUND.
0345 PM TSTM WND DMG VANCLEAVE 30.54N 88.67W
02/12/2008 JACKSON MS EMERGENCY MNGR
SPORADIC TREES BLOWN DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY FROM 345 PM
TO 430 PM.
0348 PM MARINE TSTM WIND 1 SSE GRAND ISLE CMAN 29.26N 89.96W
02/12/2008 M42.00 MPH JEFFERSON LA C-MAN STATION
0400 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 E WADE 30.64N 88.54W
02/12/2008 JACKSON MS EMERGENCY MNGR
SPORADIC TREES BLOWN DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY.
0406 PM TSTM WND GST BOOTHVILLE 29.32N 89.40W
02/12/2008 M58.00 MPH PLAQUEMINES LA ASOS
METAR OBSERVATION AT BOOTHVILLE/KBVE MEASURED PEAK WIND
FROM 290 DEGREES AT 50 KNOTS.
0430 PM MARINE TSTM WIND 20 S GULF PARK ESTATES 30.09N 88.78W
02/12/2008 M40.00 MPH GMZ555 LA BUOY
0454 PM MARINE TSTM WIND 24 S VENICE 28.93N 89.41W
02/12/2008 M44.00 MPH PLAQUEMINES LA C-MAN STATION
0600 PM MARINE TSTM WIND 64 E VENICE 29.18N 88.29W
02/12/2008 M60.00 MPH GMZ575 XX BUOY
Figure 1. WSR-88D radar image from Slidell, LA at
12:09 p.m. CST. Note a severe thunderstorm that possibly produced
tornadoes in the vicinity of Lafitte (Jefferson Parish), approaching
the Myrtle Grove area in Plaquemines Parish. Tornadoes were sighted
with this storm but damage was minimal, mostly confined to open marshes.
A tornado warning was in effect (red polygon) for this storm.
Figure 2. WSR-88D radar image from Slidell, LA at
1:49 CST, Feb 12, 2008. This is the approximate time the tornado was
moving across Independence (Tangipahoa Parish). The polygons indicate
NWS warnings that were in effect at the time of this image. |
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