In Northwest Louisiana, power is being restored and cleanup crews have moved in after an EF-2 tornado swept through the area around 2 am Saturday morning. Lt Bill Davis with the Bossier Parish Sheriff office says Swepco has restored power to most of the area.
“Folks are recovering, we did have the two deaths the elderly couple here in Haughton and one over in Oil City, that is the tragic part of this. The good part is people are recovering, picking up the pieces and moving along well,” says Davis.
79-year old Jerry Franks, and wife 65-year-old Mary Sue Franks were killed in Haughton and in Caddo Parish 75-year-old Raymond Holden was killed in Oil City during the storm.
In addition to lives lost, Davis says at least 50 homes have been destroyed in the Bossier Parish area. “We know that number has got to be higher. We want folks to call the local Bossier Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to report their damage. That will give us a good understanding of how many homes were damaged,” says Davis.
In Benton, the middle school was heavily damaged, and classes are canceled today. Crews are cleaning up debris. Davis describes the scene at Benton Middle School. “The roof just completely peeled away like a sardine can if you will, it just peeled away and exposed the school there, part of that school. Of course, there was a lot of water damage inside,” Davis says. Classes are expected to resume on Tuesday at the middle school in Benton.
Davis also stated that power crews have worked diligently to restore power to the area so residents can watch the game tonight.
