‘I Thought It Was An Earthquake’: Rain-Wrapped Tornado Blasts New Orleans
Damage in Montz in St. Charles Parish after a possible tornado
Mary ManleyA second tornado has descended on New Orleans this year. The first tornado was a powerful EF3 tornado that swept through the Lower Ninth Ward and Arabi on March 22 and is the strongest on record to strike the area which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old man.A destructive tornado swept through New Orleans late Wednesday as part of a series of dangerous winter storms that continue to push eastward from their origins in the West this past weekend.The National Weather Service (NWS) first issued a warning for the twister at 3:45 p.m. local time. The rain-wrapped tornado then made its way through southeast Louisiana, destroying homes and structures in Killona, West Bank, and Arabi. At least three possible tornadoes were spawned out of a storm that has been moving through the US South, while at least one was confirmed to be on the ground near Arabi starting at 4:04 p.m. and headed northeastward at a speed of 35 miles per hour.
This is unreal.
For the second time this year, WDSU's Tower Camera has captured a large tornado on the ground in the Lower Ninth Ward and Arabi. Our hearts are broken. pic.twitter.com/J7wnMu51U0— wdsu (@wdsu) December 14, 2022
A 56-year-old woman in Killona died after a possible tornado tore through the area of Schoolhouse Road, officials say. Seven others were injured. Mobile homes were flipped onto their sides by the tornado in that same area while power lines were also knocked down.
Damage in Montz in St. Charles Parish after a possible tornado and strong storms: https://t.co/028qu04U4G pic.twitter.com/7yiyN804C1
— FOX 8 New Orleans (@FOX8NOLA) December 14, 2022
“When it first started, I thought it was an earthquake,” said Joan Hill, who was in her shotgun home on the 1000 block of 9th Street when the storm ripped through. “And then I started being battered between the walls.”Hill said the storm was over in seconds, but was so strong it moved her house about eight feet to the right and had ripped the roof off the back of her home. Another eyewitness who lives on the 900 block of Dolholde, said her entire house shifted several feet off of its foundation.
Video in Arabi of the tornado picking up debris. 🎥 Brad Charamie #lawx @FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/CpXXddUZyM
— Zack Fradella (@ZackFradellaWx) December 14, 2022
Tens of thousands of people in New Orleans were without power following the storm; however by 9:34 p.m. the number of power outages shrunk to 4,573 customers.In north Louisiana, a mother and her 8-year-old son were found dead under a pile of debris in Caddo Parish after a tornado blew through the area late Tuesday. Nearly two dozen people across the state have been injured as a result of a series of tornadoes that moved across Louisiana and some parts of Mississippi. New Orleans was also hit just nine months ago by a more powerful tornado which destroyed dozens of homes and left one person dead.
