April 4, 2011: Severe Weather and Tornadoes

TOR. #

START POINT

RATING

PEAK WIND

START
TIME

LENGTH/
WIDTH

REMARKS

Ashdown, Little River County, AR

Downburst

95-105 mph

8:00am CDT

A downburst occurred on the southwest side of Ashdown, which resulted in numerous trees and snapped power lines. As many as 50 county and city roads were closed in Little River County from the damaging winds. In Ashdown, trees were need to point northeast and north away from the downburst region, which is very indicative of a strong straight-line wind. Damage included numerous homes and businesses as well as a school. Very little structural damage occurred from the wind alone. Most of the damage was the result of falling trees.

#1

SE of Ashdown, Little River County, AR

EF1

95-105 mph

8:10am CDT

5 miles/
150 yards

The tornado touched down on the southeast side of Ashdown along Highway 32. Trees were uprooted and snapped along CR 700 where a metal building with steel beam frame was completely destroyed. Tornado evidence was more conclusive east of this area where trees were uprooted and snapped along a convergent path. The tornado continued east, south of Hwy 32, snapping a few trees before lifting.

#2

N of Hope, Hempstead County, AR

EF1

85-95 mph

8:38am CDT

3.5 miles/
100 yards

This tornado began along CR 248 where 9 out of 10 chicken houses lost their roofs, several trees were snapped, and a tractor trailer was flipped over. The tornado continued northeast crossing CR 211 where several trees were snapped or uprooted and metal roofing was peeled from a barn.

#3

Near Blevins, Hempstead County, AR

EF2

115-120 mph

8:40am CDT

2 miles/
200 yards

This tornado began east of Blevins near a chicken farm. Four large chicken houses were completely destroyed, and hundreds of chickens were killed. A small trailer on the south side of the chicken houses, which was used as an office for the farm, was thrown 20 yards north into one of the chicken houses. The occupant inside the trailer sustained minor injuries. Another worked on the farm also sustained minor injuries. Metal debris was found up to 3 miles east of the farm.

The tornado continued east crossing CR 45. Numerous trees were snapped along a treeline south of Hwy 371 as the tornado paralleled the highway. The tornado lifted near CR 17 in Nevada County.

E of Blevins, Nevada County, AR

Downburst

95-105 mph

8:42am CDT

n/a

A downburst occurred northeast of where Tornado #3 ended along CR 53. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted blocking the road. A small pen was damage east of CR 53. All of the trees in this area were pointing outward away from where the downburst occurred approximately 200 yards west of CR 53.

#4

S of Fouke, Miller County, AR

EF1

100-110 mph

8:50am CDT

2.75 miles/
150 yards

This tornado began along CR 7 snapping a few trees and continued east cross old Hwy 71 snapping more trees. A home in this area sustained minor damage. The tornado crossed 549 and intensified snapping more trees into a clear convergent path west of CR 9 in a pasture. Trees also fell on a home puncturing the roof. Three people were home at the time, but sustained no injuries. A large storage building behind the home was destroyed. More trees were snapped and uprooted as the tornado crossed CR 9.

#5

S of Waldo, Columbia County, AR

EF1

85-90 mph

9:28am CDT

1 mile/
75 yards

This tornado touched down along CR 153 ripping off tin from a small barn. A home east of CR 153 sustained minor roof damage and some structural damage. The tornado continued ESE crossing CR 148, where several trees were snapped and uprooted. A home sustained minor roof damage, and a small shed had half of its roof torn off. Farther east, several trees were snapped and uprooted in a field, and an abandoned home had portions of its roof torn off and thrown southeast. The tornado lifted on the south side of CR 148.

#6

Near Norphlet, Union County, AR

EF1

90-100 mph

10:12am CDT

1.25 miles/
100 yards

An old gas station was blown down, and several trees were snapped along Black Street eastward across Hayes Street. Some minor roof damage occurred to homes along Hayes Street. The tornado continued east crossing North Tate Road, where a carport collapsed on a vehicle, and several trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado continued along the south side of Tate Road snapping trees and peeling shingles from several homes. The tornado lifted east of a pasture where several hardwood and softwood trees were snapped or uprooted. A small metal outbuilding suffered structural damage, as well.

#7

3 miles S of Georgetown, Grant Parish, LA

EF1

95 mph

2:42pm CDT

9.5 miles/
275 yards

This tornado began south of Georgetown just west of Hwy 165 and tracked northeast across Hwy 165 into the Selma community. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped as it crossed into Western LaSalle Parish, where it went into the Zenoria community. Trees fell onto several homes in Selma and Zenoria. The tornado continued northeast across Hwy 84 about 5 miles southeast of Tullos and lifted.

#8

8 miles N of Jena, LaSalle Parish, LA

EF2

115 mph

2:58pm CDT

7.9 miles/
225 yards

A second tornado occurred in north central LaSalle Parish about 8 miles north of Jena. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped as it moved northeast across Hwy 126 into an unpopulated area. A hunting camp was heavily damaged when a mobile home was blown down a ravine and destroyed, and a nearby travel trailer was blown over on its side. The tornado continued northeast into Catahoula Parish and intensified.

Although EF-1 damage with winds of 95-105 mph were estimated with this tornado through north central and northeast LaSalle Parish, this tornado will be rated EF-2 with maximum winds around 115 mph based on damage surveyed in Catahoula Parish by meteorologists from the NWS offices in Jackson, MS.