Specifics Released on San Augustine and Shelby County Tornadoes

The National Weather Service survey crew from Shreveport spent the day Thursday investigating the storm damaged areas of Texas and Louisiana and they have released their findings.  According to the NWS, a long tracked, tornado-producing supercell developed in San Augustine County and crossed the Toledo Bend Area into Louisiana, tracking across north-central Louisiana and into south-central Arkansas.

Regarding the San Augustine tornado (not pictured above), it first touched down along County Road 1277 where it uprooted and snapped numerous trees as it paralleled the road. It then widened and moved across Cedar Road where extensive tree damage led to structural damage to 54 structures in a neighborhood. As it continued, it ripped the awning off a gas station and snapped the the electrical transmission tower of a sub-station near the intersection of U.S. Route 96 and Texas Route 21. A laundromat and several additional structures underwent extensive damage as the storm moved across the northern side of downtown San Augustine. After pushing through the northern part of the city, it continued to uproot and snap trees nearby along route 353 and lifted before reaching the Shelby County line.

This tornado was rated as an EF-2 with estimated peak winds at 130 mph.  It touched down around 11:13 pm and stayed on the ground for about 10 minutes for 8.61 miles and was 800 yards wide at its maximum size. No fatalities nor significant injuries were reported.

The same cell spawned a tornado which touched down west of Toledo Bend Reservoir
in Shelby County near Forest Service Road 126 and continued northeast crossing County Road 2789 and then County Road 3184 just north of Forest Service Road 126. It continued northeast just north of Forest Service Road 126 and went through
E. Hillview Lane. It continued along the same path and crossed Doyle English Lane, near the Toledo Bend Reservoir at Corris N. Blisteres Road and County Road 2011 where it left the shoreline and went across Toledo Bend Reservoir. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted along this path. On the Louisiana side of Toledo Bend
Reservoir, the path continued on Highway 191 just south of Highway 174 where it made an eastward turn and crossed Golden Road. It went through the town of Converse in Louisiana where several trees were snapped and uprooted. It again moved to the northeast crossing Highway 171 and Highway 174 and led to tree damage on
Harrison Road, Cooper Lane, and Boliver Road before it crossed into De Soto Parish. It then caused some tree damage near Pelican, where a tree fell on a vehicle on Highway 175 just south of the Highway 483 intersection. This resulted in an injury to a female driver in the vehicle. The tornado continued its northeast movement to Highway 177
north of Parish Road 507 where it lifted.

This tornado was categorized as an EF-1 with top winds at 105 mph.  It stayed on the ground for 31 miles with a maximum width of 75 yards.