EF-2 tornado damages buildings, homes in Tangipahoa

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A strong line of severe storms spawned an EF-2 tornado Wednesday evening (Feb. 8).

A tornado warning was issued for a portion of St. Helena Parish and Tangipahoa Parish around 5 p.m. The warning was extended about an hour later.

Another tornado warning was reissued for Tangipahoa Parish around 7:18 p.m. for the areas of Fluker and Roseland.

Extensive storm damage was reported in the Village of Tangipahoa.

The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday that an EF-2 tornado caused the damage in the area.

Specifics such as estimated wind speeds, path length/width, and more have still not yet been determined.

EF-2 tornadoes have maximum wind gusts between 111 and 135 mph.

FOX 8 viewers shared video of the tornado touching down between Fluker and Kentwood along I-55.

A dozen buildings were damaged, including several mobile homes.

At least five people were injured, including Haven Briggs, who was inside her trailer with her two children when the tornado struck.

First responders are on the scene administering aid to an elderly woman and two children, Miller says. Injuries are unknown.

Download the Fox 8 Weather App + Download the Fox 8 News App

Track weather in real-time with VIPIR radar.

After Wednesday’s severe weather threat, this front will hang up along the coast. That means cloud cover is likely to linger for a few days heading into the weekend. It will also trend colder and colder.

A secondary weather system likely leads to rain early Friday, but all weekend parades still look dry. It will be cold, however, with highs on Saturday likely not getting out of the 40s.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2023 WVUE. All rights reserved.