Tornadoes in the Southeastern United States
On December 16th and 17th, a severe outbreak of tornadoes in the Southeastern United States occurred. At dawn of the first day, super cells started to develop in Louisiana. The inclement weather headed in an unwavering northeastern course. Without a doubt, the storm spawned several extremely strong tornadoes. The first to touch down occurred in Alexandria and was followed by an EF3 tornado in Laurel. The National Weather Association sprang into action and started issuing several warnings to seek shelter for residents of Alexandria. During the outbreak, six tornado watches were announced in the vicinity of Alexandria alone.
At Least 28 Major Tornadoes Touch Down
The storms spread throughout the Deep South over two days. The National Weather Service confirmed that 28 tornadoes touched down throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana. An EF3 caused considerable damage in Laurel, Mississippi but it did not stop there.
The severe weather caused four deaths and dozens of destroyed homes. Shockingly, one of the EF3 tornadoes caused a 62-mile pathway over the course of an hour. The tornado traveled between Alexandria and DeRidder, Louisiana but never wavered in strength.
Mississippi and Louisiana Declared State of Emergency
Mississippi’s Governor Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency due to the wide-scale destruction in 27 counties, and dozens injured. Also, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards stepped forward and declared a state of emergency statewide. In addition, in Vernon Parish, the chief deputy Calvin Turner stated that one person died as a result of the storm system and the destruction.
Widespread Destruction Across America’s South
The damage and loss of life were widespread as the extreme storm spent two days hammering the southern states with its intensity. Trees snapped and buildings suffered extensive damage caused by the tornadoes. In many cases, the phenomena of multiple tornado vortexes occurred. The tornadoes of December 16th and 17th will go down in history for their fierce and long-lasting destruction. Interestingly, most of the cells that spun off the storm were unusually strong and caused a shocking array of damage. Also, flooding occurred from the heavy rainfall and caused its own array of problems for residents.
Engineering Specialists Inc. has nearly 30 years of field experience in analyzing tornado damage to vehicles, residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. We can work on any project in any state, nationwide. When you or your business needs to confirm the extent of damage or how to correct a problem, email us at office@esinationwide.com or call us, toll-free, at (877) 559-4010.