The worst tornado outbreak ever recorded
across Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana occurred 50 years
ago on November 7, 1957. On that day, 12 people
were killed and hundreds were injured by at least 9 separate
tornadoes that struck this area over a 10 hour period.
Even more tornadoes affected other parts of Louisiana, as well
as other states throughout the Southeastern U.S.
Ironically, this large tornado outbreak occurred only a few
months after the deadliest natural disaster in the area's
history - Hurricane Audrey.
Overview
The November 7, 1957 Tornado
Outbreak was unique among tornado outbreaks in Southeast Texas
and Southwest Louisiana in that it produced numerous intense and
killer tornadoes, with 5 different tornadoes causing fatalities
across the area. This was despite the relatively small
path widths and lengths of the tornadoes, such as compared to
the large tornadoes that frequent the Plains states and Midwest.
In addition, an F4 tornado which struck Orange County on this
day remains the strongest tornado ever recorded in Southeast
Texas. Several other tornadoes were rated F3 on the Fujita
Scale, including very damaging ones in Groves TX and Alexandria
LA. Damage totals across the area were around $5 million, which would equate to around $37 million in today's dollars.
Other tornadoes affected northern
and southeastern Louisiana (2), Mississippi (4), Alabama (2), Tennessee (1), Georgia
(2), and North
Carolina (1), from November 7th into November 8th, 1957, with a total
of at least 21 tornadoes in this outbreak. Some
of these tornadoes in other states also caused deaths and
injuries. There were likely other tornadoes that
were not recorded due to the relatively low population density of
the southern U.S. and the limited radar technology of the time.
Historically, only one tornado event is
known to have been deadlier than the November 7, 1957
tornado outbreak in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.
This was the Alexandria tornado
of April 4, 1923, which killed 15 people, injured 150, and
caused $750,000 dollars in damage ($9 million in today's dollars).
The worst tornado outbreak in the history of Louisiana occurred
on April 24, 1908, when two separate tornado families (series of
tornadoes), including the infamous Amite tornado, struck
east-central and southeastern Louisiana and killed at least 85
people. (Grazulis 1993)
Tornadoes in the NWS Lake Charles CWA
from November 7, 1957
(click on a
location for more information) |
LOCATION |
COUNTY/
PARISH |
TIME
(CST) |
F-SCALE
RATING |
PATH
LENGTH
(miles) |
PATH
WIDTH
(yards) |
DEATHS |
INJURIES |
DAMAGE
(1957 $) |
Lowry/Iota LA |
JEFF DAVIS/
ACADIA |
1430 |
F1 |
15 |
50 |
0 |
0 |
$25,000 |
China
TX |
JEFFERSON |
2015 |
F2 |
5 |
50 |
0 |
0 |
$14,000 |
Leesville LA |
VERNON |
2035 |
F2 |
1 |
50 |
0 |
0 |
N/A |
Alexandria LA |
RAPIDES |
2055 |
F3 |
13 |
60 |
3 |
35 |
$500,000 |
Port Acres TX |
JEFFERSON |
2123 |
F2 |
1.5 |
70 |
0 |
1 |
$75,000 |
Groves TX |
JEFFERSON |
2129 |
F3 |
3 |
150 |
2 |
53 |
$2,300,000 |
Higginbotham/Sunset LA |
ACADIA/
ST. LANDRY |
2130 |
F3 |
15 |
200 |
4 |
12 |
N/A |
Orange TX |
ORANGE |
2327 |
F4 |
6 |
200 |
1 |
50 |
$1,500,000 |
Carencro LA |
LAFAYETTE |
2330 |
F1 |
2 |
50 |
2 |
13 |
$250,000 |
Other
Severe Weather Reports in the NWS Lake Charles CWA
from November 7, 1957 |
LOCATION |
COUNTY/
PARISH |
TIME
(CST) |
SEVERE
WEATHER REPORT |
NOTES |
Iota LA |
ACADIA |
1725 |
POSSIBLE TORNADO |
Warehouse damaged by likely tornado |
Southeast TX
Regional Airport |
JEFFERSON |
2101 |
TSTM WINDS |
Sustained SE winds of 42 MPH |
England AFB |
RAPIDES |
2102 |
SVR TSTM WIND GUST |
SW 58 MPH (50 KTS) wind gust |
Southeast TX
Regional Airport |
JEFFERSON |
2107 |
SVR TSTM WIND GUST |
Sustained WSW winds of 56 MPH with gust
to 76 MPH (66 KTS) |
Vinton LA |
CALCASIEU |
2140 |
TSTM WIND GUST |
Severe thunderstorm with high winds
reported |
Sulphur LA |
CALCASIEU |
2225 |
POSSIBLE TORNADO |
Possible tornado reported |
Lake Charles Chennault Apt LA |
CALCASIEU |
2230 |
TSTM WIND GUST |
NW 48 MPH (42 KTS) wind gust |
Lake Charles
LA |
CALCASIEU |
2230 |
TSTM WIND DAMAGE & POSSIBLE TORNADO |
Hanger destroyed at McFillen Airpark
(east of present-day Burton Coliseum). Numerous porches, roofs,
and small buildings were destroyed in town. Possible tornado not
listed in official records.
(Ross 1997) |
Crowley LA |
ACADIA |
2350 |
TSTM WIND DAMAGE |
High winds and power outages |
Lafayette LA |
LAFAYETTE |
2358 |
TSTM WIND GUST |
WNW 52 MPH (45 KTS) wind gust |
Surface & Upper Level Analysis
The weather ingredients for this tornado outbreak came together
quite rapidly during the day on November 7, 1957, with
numerous factors known today to be highly indicative of a major
risk for severe weather. A large and deep positively-tilted
trough of low pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere,
located over the western United States on November 6, 1957,
moved quickly eastward and took on a negative-tilt as it reached
the central United States by the evening of November 7. At the
same time, a powerful 200 mb subtropical jet stream of around
120 knots (140 mph), located unusually far to the south, moved
across northern Mexico into southern Texas.
Meanwhile, at the surface, rapid cyclogenesis likely occurred
over central Texas early on November 7, with the evolving
surface low deepening and moving quickly northeastward into
southeastern Oklahoma by that evening. Deep gulf moisture
characterized by dewpoints in the upper 60s and lower 70s, and
precipitable water values in the 1.5 to 1.75 inch range, had
become established across Southeast Texas and Southwest
Louisiana during the day on November 7. Observed and modified
upper air soundings show that by the evening of November 7, wind
shear and instability levels were very favorable for tornadic
supercells across Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana, with
deep-layer wind shear values of around 70 knots (80 mph) and
moderate to high CAPE values of 1500-2500 J/KG.
Local knowledge has found that unusually strong subtropical jet
streams that move across northern Mexico into southern Texas
have been associated with some of the worst severe weather
outbreaks in our region. For instance, the last major tornado
outbreak across Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana, on
November 23, 2004, occurred with a very similar synoptic setup
as the one on November 7, 1957. In addition, these
powerful jet streams are common during moderate to strong El
Ni�o events (although they can occur during neutral or La Ni�a
events as well). A moderate El Ni�o event was in
progress on November 7, 1957.
Stories & Pictures
We are looking for other survivors and
members of the public to share their stories, information, and
pictures from the November 7, 1957 tornado outbreak.
Your stories and pictures will be shared on this webpage.
Please contact forecaster
Sam Shamburger for more information!
References
Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991.
St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental
Films, July 1993.
Ross, Nola Mae. 40th Anniversary of the 11/7/57
Tornadoes. Lake Charles American
Press. November 7, 1997.
Notes
Additional information continues to be gathered on this historic
event, and more information will likely be added to this webpage
in the future. Check back for further updates!
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