Weather chaos ensued late Wednesday morning as a tornado tore through southeastern Louisiana and into southwestern Mississippi, and the damage was depicted in live coverage by extreme storm chaser Reed Timmer.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in New Orleans issued a tornado warning for southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi on late Wednesday morning. The report warned that a “severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 4 miles north of Biloxi, moving northeast at 35 mph.” The storm comes after days of heavy rain have fallen in the Gulf Coast states.
Timmer documented the experience in a live stream shared on YouTube. According to the live stream, Wednesday’s tornado was part of a two-day tornado outbreak occurring in the Gulf Coast states. During his video, rain poured against the windshield as he and a fellow storm chaser directed their vehicle over fallen trees.
During his pursuit, Timmer encountered tornado damage south of Simmesport, Louisiana, in the southeastern part of the state. He warned that the tornado was moving into southwestern Mississippi, adding that major trees had been downed by severe winds and that it appeared that a couple vehicles had been caught in the tornado.
“We have seen significant damage south of Simmesport,” he said. “Debris was flying through the air, trees getting snapped right in front of us, power poles snapped as well.”
Timmer said that winds likely reached triple digits, and the storm damaged “anything in its path.”
Newsweek reached out to Timmer by phone for comment.
The NWS also warned of debris.
“Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed,” the report said. “Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.”
The report urged people to take cover immediately.
Social media account Weather Nation also shared a brief video of the tornado on X, formerly Twitter.
“WATCH the moment the power goes out in Mississippi during a tornado warning!” the account posted.
In the video, heavy rain is falling and strong winds are whipping through Picayune, Mississippi. Six seconds in, the streetlights go dark. As of Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of thousands of people were without power from the storms across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Professional storm chaser Aaron Rigsby also captured the tornado as it hopped over Interstate 12 in Slidell, Louisiana. In the video, there’s a flicker of light in the massive storm that Rigsby said are power flashes, which illuminate funnel clouds of tornados as the intense wind destroys electrical equipment.
NWS meteorologist Shawn O’Neil told Newsweek that the severe weather, including wind, hail and tornado threats, has moved out of the New Orleans region. The system that caused the tornado warning is now moving through Mobile, Alabama. O’Neil said the storm has since transitioned to rain in the New Orleans metro area.
Getty
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.