Wildfire Smoke and Severe Thunderstorms in the East; Monsoon Thunderstorms in the Southwest

Wildfire smoke continues to impact air quality from the Great Lakes region into New England and the Mid-Atlantic today with widespread Air Quality Alerts in effect. Severe thunderstorms are expected across portions of the Ohio Valley and Lower Great Lakes into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, this afternoon into the evening. Monsoonal thunderstorms may bring areas of flooding to the Southwest. Read More >

Overview

A powerful storm system moved across Northern Louisiana on Tuesday, December 9th, 2008. Two tornadoes were confirmed in La Salle and Webster Parishes. The National Weather Service would like to thank residents in the area for their assistance with the damage surveys. Special thanks go to the La Salle Parish Director of Homeland Security and to the staff at RMS LLC for their assistance.

TOTAL TORNADO COUNT = 2

EF1 = 1

EF2 = 1

Tornado Table

Graphics

Photos

Damage Map

TOR. #	START POINT	END POINT	RATING	REMARKS
#1	W of Pineview, La Salle Parish, LA	Caldwell Parish, LA	EF2	A funnel cloud was first observed just west of Pineview by staff members from the local hospital. Shortly afterward, the tornado touched down near Industrial Road and snapped or uprooted several trees. The tornado traveled northeast to Hwy 127. Several modular homes were completely destroyed. One man received minor injuries as he was temporarily trapped in his home after the storm struck. Two brick homes in the immediate area suffered severe roof damage. Several 2- to 3-foot thick trees were snapped or uprooted and carried up to 50 yards. The tornado was at its widest point here, about 300 yards. The tornado then proceeded to Wilburn Road. Several 12- to 18-inch diameter trees were snapped in this heavily wooded area. One 2- to 3-foot diameter tree was uprooted. The storm continued northeast, crossing Industrial Road 8. A few 8- to 12-inch diameter trees were snapped. In northern La Salle Parish, the storm crossed Boneyard Road just south of Hwy 124. A few 8- to 12-inch diameter trees were snapped. The top of one tree landed on power-lines along the road. The tornado lifted as it proceeded northeast into Caldwell Parish. No additional damage was observed.
#2	Webster Parish, LA	Webster Parish, LA	EF1	The 50-yard wide tornado touched down at approximately 10:30am CST, one quarter mile southwest of the intersection of Goodwill Road and Parish Road 117. The storm moved northeast and lifted in a forested area approximately two-tenths of a mile from its start point. Several outbuildings were damaged by the tornado. In addition, the storm damaged several homes, peeling the siding from one house and destroying the roofs of several others. Numerous large oak trees were also snapped or twisted as the tornado moved along its path.

Radar imagery of the tornadic thunderstorm as it passed from southwest to northeast through La Salle Parish. Imagery on the left is of storm. Imagery on the right is of storm relative motion, which indicates rotation where the reds and greens meet.

Radar imagery of the tornadic thunderstorm as it passed through Webster Parish. Imagery on the left is of storm reflectivity, with deep red indicating the more intense activity. Imagery on the right is of storm relative motion, which indicates rotation where the reds and greens meet.

Several homes were completely destroyed by an EF2 tornado in La Salle Parish.

What used to be a home and a tree line has been completely wiped away by an EF2 tornado.

Roofing from this brick home was blown into nearby woods and two large trees were uprooted.

Several trees were snapped or uprooted on Wilburn Road in La Salle Parish.

The top of a snapped tree takes down power lines on Boneyard Road in northern La Salle Parish.

NWS staff member surveying tornado damage near Dixie Inn

A National Weather Service staff member surveys damage caused by a tornado in Webster Parish near Dixie Inn.

A brick home suffered severe roof damage during a tornado in Webster Parish near Dixie Inn.

Several buildings were damaged and several trees were snapped during the storm.

This home suffered extensive damage. In addition, several large trees were snapped or uprooted.

Click here to download the survey KMZ file.

This survey data is preliminary and subject to change as more information becomes available. Road accessibility and inconsistencies between mapping and GPS software may limit the accuracy of the tracks plotted on this map. Line widths are not representative of actual tornado widths. The information plotted on this map is intended for general reference use only.

For official post-storm information, use Storm Data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.

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Wildfire Smoke and Severe Thunderstorms in the East; Monsoon Thunderstorms in the Southwest

December 9, 2008: Tornadoes in Northern Louisiana