In the early morning hours of April 25,2019,a large and destructive tornado moved through the western side of Ruston,a city located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The tornado,which was on the ground for 11 miles (18km),killed two people and heavily damaged portions of the Louisiana Tech University campus.
The Day 3 convective outlook,outlined by the Storm Prediction Center on April 23,saw a "slight",level 2-of-5 risk for severe weather across eastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi with an additional "marginal",level 1-of-5 risk stretching from East Texas to South Alabama. Meteorologist Chris Broyles noted that "thunderstorms associated with a marginal wind damage and hail threat will be possible across parts of the lower Mississippi Valley and central Gulf Coast States on Thursday".[1]
The Day 2 convective outlook on April 24 maintained a slight risk area across the same areas as the day before. A 5% risk for tornadoes was noted,with a 15% total chance of significant severe weather occurring,including in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.[2] The Day 1 convective outlook retained the marginal risk area over East Texas,Louisiana,South Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta,but had gotten rid of the slight risk region that had been outlined.[3] A 2020 case study noted that the outlook did not properly anticipate the Ruston tornado's formation.[4]
Tornado summary
The tornado first touched down on Lafourche Avenue at 2:47 a.m. CDT,immediately uprooting softwood trees at EF1 intensity. More tree damage occurred as the tornado moved northeast,moving across Cypress Springs Avenue and Magnolia Drive. It reached EF2 intensity for the first time on Robinette Drive,where tree trunks were snapped. The tornado continued producing EF2-rated damage along Wade Drive and University Boulevard on the southwestern side of Ruston. Apartment buildings on the campus of Louisiana Tech University suffered roof damage as the tornado moved over a large portion of the college campus. Sports equipment was also damaged,[5] and the J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park was destroyed.[6][7][8] After bending light poles at EF2 intensity along Louisiana Highway 150,the tornado moved over an apartment complex,where EF2-rated damage was inflicted to roofs. More tornadic damage occurred east of Ruston High School.[9][10]
EF3 damage to buildings in downtown Ruston
More trees were uprooted to the northeast,before the tornado reached EF3 intensity. It cut a swath of EF3-rated tree and structure damage from Garr Avenue to U.S. Route 167. In this corridor,buildings suffered significant damage and the second-story walls of a motel collapsed. To the northeast the tornado passed over a shopping center,damaging storefronts and destroying roofs.[11][12] after damaging a strip mall on Celebrity Drive the tornado weakened,overturning vehicles in a parking lot and later uprooting trees to the northeast. on East Kentucky Avenue the tornado collapsed a pole,and further northeast several trees were uprooted at EF1 intensity. Along Stable Road it again weakened,inflicting minor damage to tree branches. After passing over Louisiana Highway 820 the tornado briefly intensified,inflicting EF1-rated damage to a row of chicken houses. At 3:00 a.m,the tornado lifted on Honor Lane northwest of Sibley. It was on the ground for 11.32 miles (18.22km),reaching a maximum width of 1,000 yards (910m).[10]
Aftermath
Over 100 homes and businesses were damaged by the tornado,[13] and 75% of Ruston was left without power.[14][15]
Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker stated "You know,when it hits your hometown,when you see businesses,when you see student housing and everything damaged like it was,it was just,you know,a real shock".[16] Lincoln Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Kip Franklin remarked on residents of Lincoln Parish that "They come back. The people of Ruston came together. They stepped up and volunteered".[17]
Two people,a mother and son,were killed by the tornado,[18][19][16] when a tree fell on the home they were occupying.[20]
Other tornadoes
List of confirmed tornadoes –Thursday,April 25,2019[note 1]
Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which fell on a number of mobile homes as well as a church. A house had half of its roof ripped off and its carport completely demolished.[26]
A garage was destroyed, and several of its concrete anchors were ripped out of the garage foundation. A trailer was flipped and rolled 5yd (4.6m), and two cars were pushed short distances, one of which had a window blown out. A glass patio table was tossed and damaged, and a home sustained substantial loss of roofing. The underside of the roof of its north facing front porch was blown out with insulation debris caked on the north and east sides of the house. A wicker chair from the front porch was tossed, and two logs were impaled through the windshield of a nearby SUV.[30]
A residence suffered roof damage, with pieces of wood and siding ripped from the porch and tossed about 150yd (140m). Several rotten trees were uprooted. Another house and some outbuildings sustained minor roof damage.[33]
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