NWS LIX - February 12, 2008 Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Event page

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.