Severe Weather Warning: Louisiana School Closures Announced

Several Louisiana parishes in the southwest of the state have announced school closures Monday amid severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings.

The Context

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued several warnings early Monday for thunderstorms and tornadoes. People were instructed to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building and avoid windows. Those caught outside during the tornado were told to find substantial shelter and protect themselves from flying debris. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. The NWS also advised not to drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

The NWS also said the storm could lead to flash flooding and advised people not to drive cars through flooded roads.

The warnings follow thunderstorms and tornadoes that caused extensive damage to some parishes in mid-April, which prompted Governor Jeff Landry to sign an emergency declaration permitting the use of state resources in each parish’s recovery efforts

“I want Louisianans to know that we will be with you every step of the way,” he said at the time.

What We Know

The following Louisiana parishes have announced school closures:

• Calcasieu Parish: Schools closed all day Monday and McNeese State University said that all 8 a.m. exam finals were rescheduled for Friday, May 3 at 8 a.m.
• Jefferson Davis Parish: Schools will be closed all day Monday.
• Beauregard Parish: All students will have a virtual instruction day and in-person classes are expected to resume on Tuesday.

Vernon, Allen and Cameron parishes will announce on Monday morning if they are closing schools.

Newsweek will update this list of closures.

Views

“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority,” the Beauregard Parish school board said in a statement.

“The campus will not be closed, and dining operations will continue on the normal schedule, but please exercise caution traveling on campus during the weather event,” the Lake Charles-based McNeese State University said in a statement.

What’s Next?

The severe thunderstorm warning, as well as several flood warnings and advisories, are in place until later Monday morning.

A “slight risk” of severe thunderstorms is predicted to hit the region on Tuesday, according to the NWS’s Storm Prediction Center.

Scientists and forecasters say more tornado-producing storms could be headed towards Louisiana as it faces a very active hurricane season.

This is due to rising ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and the return of La Niña, a climate pattern characterized by cooler ocean temperatures in the Pacific.

This cooling has widespread impacts on the weather across the globe, including increased rainfall in the western Pacific and dryer than normal conditions in the central and eastern Pacific. In the U.S., La Niña can enhance hurricane activity in the Atlantic.