Thunderstorm Wind in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana

A squall line pushed through Ouachita Parish during the evening toppling trees and power lines. Many homes suffered wind damage and roads were blocked by trees. Several people were trapped inside their cars by downed power lines. Over 200 telephone poles were snapped leaving 45,000 people without power. The damage area was nearly 180 square miles which covered much of the southern half of the Parish. In the city and surrounding communities over 400 homes suffered some sort of structural damage. The damage was so severe that Ouachita Parish was put under a declaration of emergency by the governor of Louisiana. The State Department of transportation and Development donated several trucks to help with the clean-up.