Round 2: Severe storms: At least EF3 tornado in New Orleans, 1 dead

It was another night of severe weather for parts of the South. Powerful storms swept through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, producing 35 preliminary tornado reports, 64 wind reports and 6 hail reports.

Most of Tuesday night’s damage was caused by tornadoes. In Arabi, Louisiana one person lost their life after a violent tornado ripped through eastern portions of the New Orleans metro area. Officials from St. Bernard Parish where Arabi is located estimate 50 to 60% of the town has tornado damage.

National Weather Service meteorologists are surveying the damage in St. Bernard Parish on Wednesday and the first analysis shows that the damage correlates to at least an EF 3 tornado. The final assessment is expected to take a couple of days as there is extensive damage, not only in this town but in nearby areas. If this classification stands true, it will tie it with the most powerful tornado on record to impact the New Orleans metro area. The previous tornado also happened on the east side of town in 2017.

Residents in New Orleans caught a close look at a large tornado that swept through just east of the city, specifically through the Lower Ninth Ward. Authorities are evaluating the damage on Wednesday, but the first footage shows major structural damage with many residences destroyed by the strong tornado.

Several tornadoes also spun over Mississippi and Alabama. Many structures reported roof damage, sheds moved, large trees and power poles downed.

In the Birmingham and Hoover area in Alabama, flash flooding was reported, and drivers had to be rescued from their cars along Highway 31. This makes the second flash flooding event for the Birmingham area in the last week. Authorities stated that up to the last flooding event on March 16, there had been 50 water rescues in the region.

Severe storms are expected to move east on Wednesday and bring again the chance for damaging winds, hail, and one or two tornadoes anywhere from Florida through the Carolinas. Read more about this specific forecast by meteorologist Becca Parker, here.