Thunderstorm Wind in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana

Trees were blown down in and near Homer.

An upper level trough shifted east through the Central and Southern Plains during the afternoon/evening of October 18th, reinforcing a cold front southeast into Southwest Arkansas, Northeast Texas, and North Louisiana. A hot and humid air mass was present ahead of the front, with temperatures climbing into the mid 80s to near 90 degrees. When combined with ample low level moisture present, moderate instability was in place, with increasing wind shear ahead of the front/trough resulting in multi-cell thunderstorms developing during the afternoon and evening. Some of these storms became severe, with damaging winds downing trees and power lines across portions of extreme Eastern Texas, Southern Arkansas, and North Louisiana before the storms exited the region into the Lower Mississippi Valley after midnight. Unfortunately, one fatality was reported in Union Parish after lightning struck a deer stand, setting it on fire and killing a 17 year old male hunter inside.