Although the two tornadoes that touched down in Washington Parish last Wednesday night created plenty of damage, local residents can be thankful that there were no serious injuries or deaths.
Damage was reported in the Franklinton and in the areas to the south of Mount Hermon, as well as elsewhere in the parish.
But it was more than just tornado and wind damage ---- Pine High School suffered a lightning strike and classes were cancelled for Thursday.
In Franklinton, a tornado touched down late Wednesday night in an area alongside South Main Street (Hwy 16). Another tornado began in Tangipahoa Parish and then went across Washington Parish in an area south of Mount Hermon.
For many residents, while the urgent tornado warnings were unnerving, the largest problem was extended power outages. Some homes had power outages that lasted for hours. Both Cleco and WST said that many areas were without power. WST noted that 22 of its power poles were broken, not to mention downed trees and fallen power lines. At one point following the storm, there were approximately 6,000 outages in the parish. But thanks to a strong effort by linemen, many folks had power within 24 hours after the tornadoes struck.
The Franklinton tornado that touched down along Main Street/Hwy 16 caused major tree falls and other damage at the home of Robert and Beverly Jones at the intersection of Highway 16 and Highway 1072 (Springhill Hwy). Trees were knocked over and onto the roof of the Jones' house. Part of the roof of a metal barn was ripped off. Volunteers were already working to help out at the Jones house early Thursday morning.
There was plenty of other damage in the area. Margie's Florist on Main Street near Riverside Medical Center had major roof damage, and metal storage buildings were flipped over in several neighborhoods. CARE Physical Therapy on Meadie Knight Road just east of Main Street had a large plate glass window blown out by the tornado.
Residents who had put their trash out for early Thursday morning collection had the unpleasant chore of cleaning up messes after the tornado passed.
The lightning strike at Pine High School, caused one of the three electrical phases at the school to go out.
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The issue was traced to an underground line, which required a new wire to be installed to restore full service. But there was no damage to the school itself.
Parish School Superintendent Jennifer Thomas said, "Everything at Pine High is now fully operational. We appreciate WST for their prompt response and the hard work of their crew in quickly resolving the issue. We would also like to thank Mr. Mickens, the Washington Parish School System electrician, for always stepping in to assist during emergencies and helping ensure our schools remain safe and operational."
Parish President Ryan Seal said he is grateful for the parish Public Work crews, first responders, and utility crews who work to restore power, clear roads and ensure public safety during severe weather events. He said he also appreciates the Parish Homeland Security Office for disseminating important information and providing assistance to citizens when needed.
Washington Parish Public Works crews reported trees down across the parish and worked tirelessly through the night to make clear passages. They returned at daylight at various locations with larger equipment to further assess and continue their efforts.
Tornado warnings were sounded late Wednesday evening for the entire Northshore area. Once actual tornadoes were spotted, earlier tornado watches were upgraded to warnings. The warnings continued until the all-clear was sounded at approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday.
On Thursday, the day after the tornadoes, the National Weather Service surveyed the damage in the parish and studied radar from the tornadoes, and reported that the two Washington Parish tornadoes were rated at EF1. (See the NWS graphic on Page One for more precise information about the tornadoes.)
Bobbi Jo Breland, director of the Washington Parish Office of Homeland Security, wants to remind residents that citizens who are not on any social media platform and would like to be informed can sign up to receive automated emergency alerts by signing up for Hyper-Reach.
Residents and others who work in the parish can enroll by calling or texting "Alert" to (985) 282-2620.
She noted that residents can also get community and emergency alerts through Alexa-enabled devices just by saying "Alexa, enable Hyper-Reach" and following the Alexa-provided instructions."
“And you can also get alerts on your web browser by clicking "Accept" when you see the request for push notifications," she said.
She added, "There's also the Hyper-Reach Anywhere app you can download to your smartphone. Hyper-Reach Anywhere is free and lets you manage and monitor the alerts you receive for home, office and other addresses you care about - such as elderly relatives or friends. Just go to your Apple or Google app store and search for "Hyper-Reach Anywhere."
This metal outbuilding was flipped over and moved by the Franklinton tornado. It is located at a residence on Clarain Drive on the south side of Franklinton.
