Arkansas & Louisiana Tornadoes, Dumas, AR

Arkansas and Louisiana tornado reports coming in from the National Weather Service. Several tornados touched down today in south-central Arkansas and north-central Louisiana. Reports of tornado damage are being reported in the town of Dumas, Arkansas, with cars in trees, buildings and homes with damage and tree’s down. Dumas looks to have taken a direct hit from a tornado as a well seen damage path is noted from helicopter video. In Bossier, County, in Louisiana, reports of 40 to 50 homes with roof damage and tree damage. As this time up to 11 tornado reports coming out of this area from Saturdays severe storms. Several reports of injuries some seriously in the town of Dumas, Arkansas. No deaths reports as of yet from today’s tornadoes over the lower Mississippi Valley.

The severe weather continues to the east into Mississippi and will be moving into Alabama during the overnight hours with a continued threat of tornadoes, large hail, and damaging straight-line winds.

…DAMAGE SURVEY CONDUCTED FOR BOSSIER PARISH LOUISIANA…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT CONDUCTED A DAMAGE SURVEY FOR BOSSIER PARISH LOUISIANA TODAY…SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24TH. THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED IN BOSSIER CITY LOUISIANA WAS THE RESULT OF A VERY STRONG SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM THAT MOVED THROUGH THE CITY DURING THE MORNING HOURS. THE NUMBER OF DAMAGED STRUCTURES WAS BETWEEN 40 AND 60 HOMES. THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE RANGED FROM A FEW SHINGLES OFF ON SOME HOMES TO SUBSTANTIAL ROOF LOSS ON SOME HOMES.

MOST OF THE HOMES THAT SUSTAINED DAMAGE WERE PRIMARILY OF LOSS OF ROOF SHINGLES. THE DAMAGE PATH WAS LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BOSSIER CITY…NORTH OF INTERSTATE 220 IN THE HICKORY RIDGE AND CARRIAGE OAKS SUBDIVISIONS. THE DAMAGE PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE IN LENGTH AND 250 YARDS WIDE. THE DAMAGE PATH RAN PARALLEL TO HICKORY RIDGE ROAD AND LAKE SIDE ROAD…BEGINNING NEAR COACH RD AND ENDING NEAR COY RD IN BOSSIER CITY. NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES WERE REPORTED.

THE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF A WEAK TORNADO ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. THE RATING FOR THIS TORNADO WAS AN EF1 OR A WIND SPEED RANGE OF 90 TO 100 MILES AN HOUR. THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE IS A NEW SCALE USED TO RATE TORNADO INTENSITY AND WAS INCORPORATED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ON FEBRUARY 1 2007.