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F2 tornado in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana

Tornado November 15, 2006 · St. Helena Parish, Louisiana

Rating

3.4 mi

Path length

100 yd

Path width

Death

$250K

Damage as recorded

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The path drawn at its surveyed width of 100 yards (0.06 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F2 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F2 meant considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted; the scale paired it with winds of 113–157 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A tornado touched down near the intersection of Louisiana Highways 441 and 1046 and moved northeast to Tangipahoa Parish line west of Arcola. One fatality occurred near the initial touchdown when the tornado struck a small frame house and close-by travel trailer. Both house and travel trailer next to the house were destroyed with debris piled about 25 yards to the northeast. A 43 year-old male in the travel trailer was fataly injured. The tornado continued northeast with damage primarily to trees, powerlines and house roofs.

The wider storm

Severe thunderstorms developed in the vicinity of a warm front that moved north across southeast Louisiana during the afternoon and evening of the 14th and in advance and along a cold front that moved through the area during the morning of the 15th.

Began near Montpelier (30.7500, -90.5400).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

5 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

F2 Washington Parish F1 Tangipahoa Parish F1 Washington Parish F1 Washington Parish F1 Plaquemines Parish

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 6219. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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