Survey teams with the National Weather Service in Shreveport have been on the scene of the areas impacted by the supercell thunderstorm on Wednesday night into Thursday morning that produced several tornadoes. Ruston was among the hardest hit areas, and National Weather Service forecaster CS Ross said survey teams are reporting damage that falls in line with an EF-3 tornado.
“We think winds reached upwards of 145 mph in the Ruston area and produced the extensive damage to Louisiana Tech and to the Ruston community as well,” said Ross.
Ross said the current count of tornadoes for the area is at seven but says more could be possible.
“That’s only a preliminary amount. We’ve got storm teams that are out today between Downsville and Marion and rural Union Parish,” said Ross.
A storm team is also surveying rural La Salle Parish today from a separate storm cell.
The storm started over Texas, moving northeast into Louisiana. Ross said this week’s severe weather will likely go down as a significant event in history for the National Weather Service’s Shreveport office coverage area if the storm also produced tornadoes in Arkansas as well.
“This would be pretty darn significant before it’s all said. A supercell thunderstorm producing damage in three states, our own little tri-state tornado, if you will,” said Ross.
