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EF2 tornado in Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Tornado April 22, 2020 · Rapides Parish, Louisiana

EF2

Rating

8.4 mi

Path length

500 yd

Path width

$150K

Damage as recorded

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 500 yards (0.28 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF2 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF2 is considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, consistent with estimated gusts of 111–135 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

This tornado started near the community of Elmer, west of Elmer Road where it produced damage to trees and homes. The tornado crossed Highway 112 southeast of Elmer and continued northeast through the forest, damaging many trees and power poles along its path. The tornado debarked trees at times. The tornado dissipated in the forest near Castor Plunge Road. Max estimated wind was 120 mph.

The wider storm

A cold front drifted into the area and stalled while multiple disturbances passed aloft. This produced multiple rounds of severe weather over multiple days.

Began near Elmer (31.1285, -92.6814).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

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

EF2 Rapides Parish 1 dead EF2 Newton County EF2 Avoyelles Parish EF1 Vernon Parish EF1 Rapides Parish EF1 Rapides Parish EF1 Avoyelles Parish EF1 Acadia Parish EF1 Avoyelles Parish

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 887040. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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