Live updates: New Orleans-area tornado | CNN

Tornado confirmed in New Orleans

By Maureen Chowdhury, Seán Federico O'Murchú and Tori B. Powell, CNN

Updated 1:38 AM EST, Thu December 15, 2022

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See the devastation left behind after tornado's direct hit

2:16 • Source: CNN

boy gretna la tornado

See the devastation left behind after tornado's direct hit

2:16

What we are covering here

At least 3 people died and more than a dozen were injured across Louisiana as severe weather carved a path of destruction.
A tornado touched down in New Orleans around 4 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
More than 40 tornadoes were reported across the South in the past 2 days, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
A new tornado watch – impacting 2 million people – is in effect for parts of southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and southwest Georgia.

Our live coverage for the day has ended. Follow the latest updates here or read through the updates below.

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CNN’s continuing coverage of severe weather can be found here.

2 schools in Jefferson Parish will be closed due to storm damage

From CNN's Joe Sutton and Amanda Musa

Two schools in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana — West Jefferson High School and L.H. Marrero Middle School — will be closed Thursday due to damage following severe weather Wednesday evening, according to Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng.

Crews are currently assessing damage at all parish schools, she said.

Sheng did not say how long the schools will be closed.

Meanwhile, Arabi Elementary School in St. Bernard Parish will be closed Thursday due to a loss of power, according to a news release. It will reopen Friday, it said.

All other public schools in St. Bernard Parish remain open.

Tornado caused "catastrophic destruction" in city of Gretna, mayor says

From CNN's Andy Rose

Mayor Belinda Constant and Chief Arthur Lawson

Mayor Belinda Constant and Chief Arthur Lawson

(CNN)

As many as 5,000 structures were likely damaged when a tornado struck the town of Gretna, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, on Wednesday, Mayor Belinda Constant said.

Constant added that it is too dark to do a reliable damage survey.

The biggest concern is the number of destroyed buildings, Police Chief Arthur Lawson told Cooper.

“I believe tomorrow, when daylight comes, we’re going to see a lot more damage than we see now,” he said.

4 people taken to hospitals after damage in the Algiers area of New Orleans, official says

From CNN's Joe Sutton

Authorities in New Orleans are currently assessing damage after a severe storm that prompted a tornado warning struck the area.

There is damage in the Algiers neighborhood, which on the west bank of the Mississippi River, Collin Arnold, director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness told CNN in a phone interview.

At least one house collapsed in the area and other residences and businesses have been impacted, Arnold said.

Four residents were taken to area hospitals and they are in stable condition, according to the director. Power is being restored citywide and crews are actively doing damage assessments, he added.

"I can’t process that any of this is real." Tornado leaves New Iberia resident without a home

From CNN's Sara Smart

Lizzie Taylor shared images of damage from the storm in New Iberia, Lousiana.

Lizzie Taylor shared images of damage from the storm in New Iberia, Lousiana.

(Courtesy Lizzie Taylor)

Lizzie Taylor left her home in New Iberia, Louisiana, about 5 minutes before a tornado destroyed it. She now is left without a place to live.

Taylor says she and her family have lived in their apartment for about a year.

“I can’t process that any of this is real,” She said, “It just isn’t sinking in.”

As a nurse, Taylor’s first instinct was to help her neighbors. She says she did what she could to assist people that were injured by debris.

For now, Taylor and her family are staying with another family until they can figure out another living situation.

New Iberia, with a population of about 28,000 people, is about 20 miles south of Lafayette.

Jefferson Parish president to issue a state of emergency following severe storms

From CNN's Amanda Musa

Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng told CNN affiliate WDSU that she plans to declare a state of emergency.

Currently, Sheng said she does not know of any fatalities in Jefferson Parish but that significant damage is spread across the area, including downed power lines.

Much of Jefferson Parish is without power, she said.

Jefferson, which neighbors New Orleans, has a population of 430,000 people, according to the census.

At least 3 people have died due to severe storms, Louisiana Department of Health says

At least three people have died due to severe storm-related events, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

This includes a 56-year-old woman in St. Charles Parish, who died after a tornado hit her home in the Killona area, the department said.

View the tweet, below:

Latest watch: 2 million in path of tornadoes, hail and wind

From CNN's Dave Hennen

A new tornado watch including Pensacola, Panama City and Montgomery is in effect until 1 a.m. CDT, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center.

The watch, which covers over 2 million people, includes southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and southwest Georgia.

It calls for several tornadoes, quarter-size hail and wind gusts up to 65 mph.

Tornado touched down at 4 p.m. in Arabi, St. Bernard Parish sheriff says

From CNN’s Amanda Musa

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann said the tornado touched down in Arabi, Louisiana, around 4:00 p.m. local time Wednesday evening, leaving behind about two miles of destruction.

Ten people have been rescued due to severe weather, But no serious injuries or deaths have been reported, Pohlmann said during a news conference.

Officials will be out conducting search and rescue efforts throughout the night, Pohlmann said. Much of the St. Bernard Parish is without power, he added.

St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis says a complete assessment of the damage will be done Thursday but said he does not know of any buildings that have been totally destroyed in the parish.

Jefferson Parish official says power restoration in some areas is “not going to happen quickly"

Scott Walker, Jefferson Parish Councilman

Scott Walker, Jefferson Parish Councilman

(Courtesy Scott Walker)

Councilman Scott Walker said restoring power in some parts of Jefferson Parish could take time, as many power lines are down.

While speaking outside of a damaged Winn Dixie store, Walker said he saw at least a mile-long path of debris.

“Power lines down, homes severely damaged, rooftops ripped off,” he said in a video shared online describing the scene. “It is an extensive damage scene and a long path of destruction here on the west bank.”

He urged people in affected areas to stay inside as the electric services company, Entergy, currently tries to restore power.

“Don’t go out in this,” he told WVUE.

More than 40 tornadoes were reported in the past 2 days, according to the Storm Prediction Center

A tornado passes a highway in New Iberia, Louisiana, on Wednesday, December 14, in this still image obtained from social media video.

A tornado passes a highway in New Iberia, Louisiana, on Wednesday, December 14, in this still image obtained from social media video.

Mike Ibert via Reuters

There have been 18 tornadoes reported so far Wednesday, according to the Storm Prediction Center, all in Mississippi and Louisiana.

This is in addition to two dozen reported tornadoes Tuesday across Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

The National Weather Service will be conducting damage surveys in the coming days to offer more details on the strength of each potential tornado.

More than 50,000 customers without power in 2 states

From CNN’s Joe Sutton

As severe weather continues to impact Louisiana and Mississippi, thousands of customers are currently in the dark this evening.

There are 54,413 customers without power in both states, the majority in Louisiana, according to PowerOutage.us.

Gretna mayor says aftermath from severe weather is "worse than Hurricane Ida"

From CNN's Devon Sayers and Amanda Musa

City of Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant told CNN affiliate WDSU that the aftermath from severe weather is worse than when Hurricane Ida hit.

Gretna said her city suffered heavy damage and that half of the city is without power.

“This is worse than Hurricane Ida,” she said.

Constant says city council members will meet Thursday to see if they need to declare a state of emergency. Constant also says city hall will be closed to allow for recovery work.

Gretna, part of Jefferson Parish, is on the west of the Mississippi and across from New Orleans.

Around 14 million face severe weather risk, National Weather Service forecasts

From CNN's Amir Vera and Jason Hanna

About 14 million people from Louisiana to parts of Georgia face some level of risk of severe weather Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center.

At least 22 tornado reports have been made since Tuesday from Oklahoma and Texas to Louisiana and Mississippi, including 17 from Tuesday to 6 a.m. CT Wednesday, and at least five since 6 a.m. CT Wednesday, including in Louisiana’s New Iberia.

In the small Union Parish town of Farmerville, Louisiana, at least 20 people were injured when a tornado struck Tuesday night, Farmerville police Detective Cade Nolan said.

Parts of an apartment complex and a mobile home park in the Farmerville area were demolished, with downed trees and other debris littering a road and fields, a CNN crew saw Wednesday. In speaking with residents, CNN correspondents were told by many that the storm sounded like a train rolling through their homes.

Tabor said her home was “absolutely” damaged in the storm.

Video shows tornado moving through New Orleans

Video caught by CNN affiliate WDSU’s tower cam shows a tornado moving through the Lower Ninth Ward and Arabi in New Orleans:

Watch the moment:

ac885090-a0bf-4e9e-90ef-6059d741480d.mp4

1:03 • Source: CNN

ac885090-a0bf-4e9e-90ef-6059d741480d.mp4

1:03

"Major damage" reported in Arabi, officials say

From CNN's Joe Sutton

Officials in St. Bernard Parish are currently assessing damage in Arabi where they say there is “major damage.”

Arabi is approximately 4 miles east of New Orleans.

1 person dead and several others injured after tornado, St. Charles Parish officials say

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury and Andy Rose

St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell said that there was one fatality and several injured after a tornado touched down in the community of Killona on Wednesday afternoon.

Jewell said that residents were alerted via emergency siren and text message alert system after it was confirmed that it was a “touch-down tornado.”

“There is one confirmed fatality. 7 or 8 injuries at this time,” he said at a news conference

He added that approximately 475 residents are without power.

Sheriff Greg Champagne said the person killed by the tornado was a woman. He added that eight other people have non-life-threatening injuries.

The identity of the person who was killed was not immediately released, and the sheriff said he do not know the circumstances of her death.

Champagne said the tornado was violent.

“For the second time in two weeks, we’ve had a tornado touch down in St. Charles Parish,” Champagne said. “This one created quite a bit of devastation.”

Champagne said St. Charles Parish is reeling from repeated battles with the weather.

“This community got hit really hard during Ida,” he said, adding, “They didn’t need this again. I heard some residents saying they just can’t catch a break.”

"Large amounts of damage" reported by Jefferson Parish authorities

From CNN's Joe Sutton

Authorities in Jefferson Parish are surveying storm damage in their area.

“Our Emergency Management Department is reporting large amounts of damage throughout the area, including: 600 Block of Manhattan Blvd., Gretna Near Hancock, 700 Block of Peters,700 Block of Lydia Ct,” a tweet from the Jefferson Parish Government said.

“Crews are investigating at this time. Further damage still being reported,” the tweet continued.

The parish is asking residents to stay off the roads and warned of downed power lines.

“There are multiple poles and down lines across the area. Please stay off the roads as emergency crews respond,” a tweet from the parish government said.

Over 20,000 are without power across the parish, according to PowerOutage.us.

A tornado warning was issued for the parish this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

CNN’s Devon Sayers contributed to this report

Louisiana governor declares state of emergency

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency after a tornado moved through New Orleans today.

The governor toured Caddo Parish where he surveyed damage, according to his Twitter.

“Earlier today I toured tornado damage in Caddo Parish, where I shared that I’ve declared a state of emergency to make sure assets are available for response,” Bel Edwards tweeted.

See the governor’s tweet, below:

Tornado confirmed in New Orleans, according to weather service

From CNN's Taylor Ward

A confirmed tornado moved through New Orleans around 4 p.m. CST, according to the National Weather Service.

A tornado-debris signature was evident on radar and numerous power flashes were seen on tower cameras as the storm moved through the eastern portion of the city. Damage has been reported, but the extent is unclear at this time.

The National Weather Service has not issued a report with details on the path of the tornado yet, but the hardest-hit areas were from Gretna to Arabi.

This is one of 3 tornado reports across the New Orleans metro in the last two hours.

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