National Weather Service confirms 4 tornadoes in NWLA, ETX
CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The National Weather Service of Shreveport has confirmed four tornadoes touched down overnight Wednesday as storms rolled through the ArkLaTex.
All were EF1 or lower on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with the strongest touching down in Caddo Parish north of Cross Lake along Pine Island Road. An EF1 tornado is considered to be on the "weak" end of the Enhanced Fujita Scale, but they still pack winds of 86-110 and can cause moderate damage.
The NWS survey found that this tornado was embedded in a line of thunderstorms and snapped many large softwood and hardwood trees and uprooted a few. The path was less than 300 yards long and 100 yards wide.
The storm survey team also confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down in Bienville Parish along Highway 783 near Woodardville, downing several small and large hardwood and softwood limbs. The surveyors said the tornado produced "very sporadic damage" to tree limbs and then lifted as it crossed U.S. Highway 371.
An EF0 is considered "weak," with wind speeds between 65 and 85 mph. They can cause minor damage, however, including peeling the material off from some roofs and damaging siding and gutters. This tornado had winds of up to 70 mph. It was on the ground for 1.18 miles and cut a swath of 40 yards at its widest point.
In East Texas, the NWS storm survey team found evidence a low-end EF1 tornado touched down six miles SSW of Waskom in southeastern Harrison County with winds of up to 95 mph, doing only tree damage from Farm Road 9 east to just before the state line. It lasted 2.6 miles and left a path of damage up to 50 yards wide.
An EF0 tornado also touched down briefly nine miles south of Scottsville in rural south-central Harrison county, doing only minor tree damage just southwest of Highway 31. This tornado had max winds of 70 mph, a length of half a mile, and a width of 50 yards.
Both had associated tornadic debris signature on radar.
The storms left more than 5,500 households in Caddo Parish and Harrison County without power, according to SWEPCO. Power has since been restored to all but fewer than 500 customers.