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October 28-30, 2009 Flooding and Severe Wx

Summary of Events

The events of October 28-30, 2009 began as a very strong upper level low pressure system began moving across the Texas/Oklahoma Panhandles on the 28th.  Moisture began to return to the region on by the night of the 28th as the low level winds increased ahead of this system, and scattered showers began to develop across the region in the wee hours of the 29th.  As the early morning hours of the 29th continued and the environment across the Four State Region became more moist and unstable, showers and thunderstorms became more numerous ahead of the cold front.  The National Weather Service in Shreveport issued the first Tornado Warning of the event at around 1 pm on the 29th.  The tornadic portion of this event lasted through the remainder of the day and continued into the late evening.  Flash flooding became a problem by the late afternoon of the 29th, as the thunderstorms continued to move over the same areas repeatedly.  As the cold front began moving through the region, the tornadic threat transitioned into a full-blown flash flooding event.  The cold front stalled over Deep East Texas, Northwest Louisiana, and Southwest Arkansas during the overnight hours heading into the 30th.  Widespread flash flooding was reported across areas of East Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and North Louisiana during this time.  The rainfall also aggravated and worstened hydrologic flooding that was already ongoing across North Lousiana and East Texas.  By mid day on the 30th, the front finally began moving eastward again, ending rainfall in the Four State Region by that evening.  

All said and done, the region received anywhere from one to eight inches of rainfall, with widespread totals of five to six inches across Deep East Texas, Southern Arkansas, and North/Northwest Louisiana.  Damage was reported in East Texas in Panola, Bowie, and Angelina Counties, in Southwest Arkansas in Little River, Lafayette, Columbia, and Union Counties, and in North Louisiana in Bossier, Caddo, Union, and Red River Parishes.  The most extensive damage occurred in the Shreveport/Bossier City area, with numerous homes and businesses sustaining moderate to significant damage.  Damage surveys were conducted in these areas to determine if tornadoes actually occurred, and if so, where they fell on the EF (Enhanced Fujita) scale.     

 

Tornado Tracks  

 To download the KMZ file for these tracks, click here.

 

Summary of Tornadoes

NOTE: All times are CDT. 

Tornado #1

• Location:  HAUGHTON, LA
• Time:  12:50 PM
• Rating:  EF1
• Summary of Damage:  THE TORNADO SNAPPED SEVERAL TREES CAUSING A SHUT DOWN OF INTERSTATE 20, AS TREES FELL ACROSS THE INTERSTATE. IT THEN CONTINUED NORTH DAMAGING SEVERAL HOMES IN THE EASTWOOD COMMUNITY. SEVERE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO SEVERAL HOMES DUE TO FALLEN TREES, AND NEARLY 30 HOMES HAD SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE. THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED NORTH ACROSS HIGHWAY 80 INTO THE EASTWOOD GOLF COURSE, NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED ON THE GULF COURSE. THE DAMAGE TRACK DISSIPATED NORTH OF EASTWOOD GOLF COURSE BEFORE REACHING WINFIELD RD.
  
  THE INITIAL TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN OCCURRED AT 12:50 PM AND HAD A LENGTH OF 2.50 MILES, AND A WIDTH OF 200 YARDS. THE TORNADO WAS
  ESTIMATED TO BE ON THE GROUND FOR THREE MINUTES WITH AN ESTIMATED WIND SPEED OF 90 TO 100 MPH. EIGHT INJURIES WERE ATTRIBUTED TO THIS TORNADO.

Tornado #2

• Location:  HALL SUMMIT, LA
• Time:  1:29 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO SKIPPED ALONG A PATH FROM NEAR HALL SUMMIT NORTHWARD ACROSS THE RED RIVER-BIENVILLE PARISH LINE            ALONG HWY 371. HALL SUMMIT CHIEF OF POLICE WITNESSED THREE FUNNELS, TWO SMALL AND ONE MAIN FUNNEL, SPORADICALLY DROPPING DOWN IN A FORESTED AREA NORTH OF HALL SUMMIT, WEST OF HWY 371. SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS WERE BROKEN IN TREES ALONG HWY 371. THE TORNADO PATH WAS 4.5 MILES LONG, APPROXIMATELY 75 YARDS WIDE, AND ON THE GROUND SEVEN MINUTES.

Tornado #3

• Location:  BERNICE, LA
• Time:  1:35 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN FIVE MILES SOUTH OF BERNICE JUST WEST OF HWY 167. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF TREES DOWNED AND  LARGE BRANCHES DOWNED. TIN WAS ALSO REMOVED FROM THE ROOF OF A CAR WASH, AND ROOF DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO A HOME ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF BERNICE. PATH WIDTH WAS 50 YARDS WIDE WITH A PATH LENGTH OF FIVE MILES LONG.

Tornado #4

• Location:  JUNCTION CITY, AR
• Time:  1:55 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  AN EF0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN EAST NORTHEAST OF JUNCTION CITY ARKANSAS. THIS TORNADO DOWNED THREE LARGE TREES ALONG  WITH LARGE LIMBS ALONG THE PATH. PATH WIDTH WAS 50 YARDS WIDE WITH A PATH LENGTH OF 1.5 MILES.

Tornado #5

Location:  ELYSIAN FIELDS, TX
• Time:  2:27 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO OCCURRED NORTHWEST OF ELYSIAN FIELDS TEXAS ALONG WOODLEY ROAD. SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED AND SNAPPED ALONG A PATH THAT WAS 75 YARDS WIDE AND 1.5 MILES LONG. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES.

Tornado #6

Location:  SMACKOVER, AR
• Time:  3:13 PM
• Rating:  EF1
• Summary of Damage:   A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN THREE MILES WSW OF SMACKOVER AND DOWNED LARGE TREES WHILE SNAPPING SEVERAL OTHERS. THE PATH WIDTH WAS 75 YARDS WIDE WITH A PATH LENGTH OF ONE MILE.

Tornado #7

Location:  SMACKOVER, AR
• Time:  3:13 PM
• Rating:  EF1
• Summary of Damage:  AN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN EIGHT MILES SOUTHWEST OF SMACKOVER, DOWNING SEVERAL LARGE TREES AND SNAPPING OTHERS. A ROOF  WAS ALSO PEELED BACK FROM A HOME SOUTHWEST OF TOWN. THE PATH WIDTH WAS 75 YARDS WITH A PATH LENGTH OF SEVEN MILES IN UNION COUNTY. THE TRACK CONTINUED INTO OUACHITA COUNTY.

Tornado #8

• Location:  BLANCHARD, LA
• Time:  3:16 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  AN EF0 TORNADO OCCURRED SOUTHWEST OF BLANCHARD LOUISIANA ALONG BLANCHARD-FURRH ROAD. SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED NORTH OF THE ROAD IN A FORESTED AREA. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST ACROSS BLANCHARD LATEX ROAD UPROOTING A COUPLE TREES. THE TORNADO ENDED ALONG STATE RT 173 NORTH OF BLANCHARD WHERE SEVERAL LARGE BRANCHES WERE BROKEN. THE TRACK WAS 75 YARDS WIDE, THREE MILES LONG, AND ON THE GROUND FOR THREE MINUTES.

Tornado #9

• Location:  BELCHER, LA
• Time:  3:25 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO OCCURRED SOUTHWEST OF BELCHER ALONG HAYGOOD ROAD AND DIXIE MOORINGSPORT ROAD. SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED ALONG A TREELINE IN A FIELD. THE TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS WIDE, ONE MILE LONG, AND ON THE GROUND ONE MINUTE.

Tornado #10

• Location:  PLAIN DEALING, LA
• Time:  3:53 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NORTHWEST OF PLAIN DEALING ALONG HWY 537. NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED   IN A PATH THAT STARTED ALONG HWY 537, CROSSED LOG FERRY ROAD, AND ENDED ALONG WISE ROAD. THE TORNADO TRACK WAS APPROXIMATELY 4.5 MILES LONG, 100 YARDS WIDE, AND ON THE GROUND SEVEN MINUTES.

Tornado #11

• Location:  SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY, LA
• Time:  4:13 PM
• Rating:  EF2
• Summary of Damage:  THE TORNADO SNAPPED SEVERAL TREES...AND TOOK THE STEEPLE OFF THE TOP OF FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. IT THEN CONTINUED NORTHEAST CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE SHREVEPORT CONVENTION CENTER AND OTHER DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED THE RED RIVER JUST NORTH OF SAM`S TOWN CASINO, KNOCKING DOWN SEVERAL TREES ALONG THE RIVER.
  
  THE TORNADO TRACK CROSSED THE RED RIVER JUST SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 220 NEAR BENTON ROAD, WHERE SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED ALONG THE LEVEE AND A BARN WAS DAMAGED. THE TORNADO CROSSED INTERSTATE 220 JUST WEST OF BENTON RD, AND CAUSED MINOR TO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AT SEVERAL CAR DEALERSHIPS ALONG BENTON RD.
  
  IT CROSSED BENTON RD,  AND ENTERED THE GREEN ACRES PLACE SUBDIVISION, CAUSING MODERATE TO MAJOR DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS HOMES AND
  TOWN HOUSES. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST INTO THE BROWNLEE SUBDIVISION WHERE MORE HOMES HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. IT THEN MOVED NORTHEAST CAUSING SOME DAMAGE TO THE RESERVE APARTMENT COMPLEX AND THE CYPRESS POINTE APARTMENT COMPLEX ON AIRLINE DRIVE.
  
  THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED AIRLINE DRIVE JUST NORTH OF LE OAKS DRIVE AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN CROSS CREEK AND BAYOU BEND
  SUBDIVISION. CONTINUING ON A NORTHEAST TRACK, THE TORNADO CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE AT THE BOSSIER EMERGENCY SERVICE CENTER ON SWAN LAKE RD. AND SNAPPED AND UPROOTED NUMEROUS TREES IN ROSE NEATH CEMETERY.
  
  THE TORNADO MOVED NORTH AND CROSSED SWAN LAKE RD. CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HOMES IN THE LEGACY SUBDIVISION. IT THEN CONTINUED
  NORTHEAST CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO A HOME...AND UPROOTED AND SNAPPED TREES ON DEEN POINT RD. THE TRACK CONTINUED FURTHER TO THE NORTHEAST CAUSING TREE DAMAGE ON JESSIE JONES RD. AND WEST LAKESHORE DR IN BENTON. THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED NORTHEAST CROSSING CYPRESS LAKE AND CAUSING MORE DAMAGE TO TREES ON MERRITT RD. BEFORE DISSIPATING.
  
  OVER 100 HOMES IN BOSSIER PARISH WERE DAMAGED IN THIS TORNADO TRACK. THE TORNADO PATH LENGTH WAS 13 MILES, AND WAS 600 YARDSWIDE. THE TORNADO WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ON THE GROUND FOR 17 MINUTES WITH AN ESTIMATED WIND SPEED OF 110 TO 115 MPH.

Tornado #12

Location:  GARY CITY, TX
Time:  4:44 PM
Rating:  EF0
Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO SKIPPED ALONG A PATH WHICH STARTED ALONG FM 1970 WHERE A COUPLE TREES WERE UPROOTED. NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED NEAR THE END OF THE TRACK ALONG COUNTY ROAD 116. THE TORNADO TRACK WAS APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES LONG, 100 YARDS WIDE, AND SPORADICALLY ON THE GROUND FOR A SPAN OF SIX MINUTES.

Tornado #13

Location:  MAGNOLIA, AR
Time:  5:34 PM
Rating:  EF1
Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN MAGNOLIA AND UPROOTED SEVERAL TREES AND SOME MINOR DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO HOMES AT THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH WASHINGTON AND HAMPTON DRIVE. ONE BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN HAD ITS SIGN BLOWN OUT. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED  AT 80-90 MPH. THE PATH LENGTH WAS 1.5 MILES AND THE PATH WIDTH WAS 100 YARDS.

Tornado #14

• Location:  MAGNOLIA, AR
• Time:  5:39 PM
• Rating:  EF1
• Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN. THIS TORNADO UPROOTED AND SNAPPED SEVERAL TREES. THE DAMAGE WAS FIRST NOTED ON COUNTY ROAD 47 ABOUT 1/4 MILE EAST OF HWY 79. SOME SIGNIFICANT TO MAJOR DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO MOBILE HOMES AND POWERLINES AND POLES WERE SNAPPED. A RESIDENTIAL SHOP WAS ALSO DAMAGED BY FALLEN TREES. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 95-105 MPH. THE PATH LENGTH WAS 1.5 MILES AND THE PATH WIDTH WAS 100 YARDS. ONE INJURY WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THIS TORNADO.

Tornado #15

• Location:  OIL CITY, LA
• Time:  5:52 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  AN EF0 TORNADO OCCURRED SOUTHEAST OF OIL CITY NEAR THE INTERSECTIONS OF HWY 1 AND STATE RT 538. SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED ALONG THE 75 YARD WIDE AND 0.5 MILE LONG TRACK. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE.

Tornado #16

Location:  VIVIAN, LA
Time:  6:04 PM
Rating:  EF0
Summary of Damage:   AN EF0 TORNADO OCCURRED ALONG HWY 170 SOUTHEAST OF VIVIAN. SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED IN THE WOODED AREAS ALONG THE HWY. ONE FATALITY OCCURRED INDIRECTLY AND RESULTED FROM THEIR CAR HITTING ONE OF THE DOWNED TREES ACROSS HWY 170. THE TORNADO WAS 75 YARDS WIDE, 0.5 MILES LONG AND ON THE GROUND FOR ONE MINUTE. 

Tornado #17

• Location:  STONEWALL, LA
• Time:  6:28 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:    AN EF0 TORNADO OCCURRED ALONG PRESTON ROAD WEST OF STONEWALL. SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED NORTH OF PRESTON ROAD IN A FOREST AND IN A FIELD. THE TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS WIDE AND 0.5 MILES LONG AND ON THE GROUND FOR ONE MINUTE. 

Tornado #18

• Location:  MAGNOLIA, AR
• Time:  6:33 PM
• Rating:  EF1
• Summary of Damage:    A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN NEAR COUNTY ROAD 61 JUST EAST OF COUNTY ROAD 431 OR ABOUT 1.5 MILES EAST OF HWY 79. SOME ROOF DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO ONE HOME AND A TREE FELL ON ONE VEHICLE. AFTER THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN, SPORADIC TREE DAMAGE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TORNADO JUST EAST OF COUNTY ROAD 61 TO JUST NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD 75. WINDS WERE
  ESTIMATED AT 80-90 MPH. PATH LENGTH WAS 7.5 MILES AND PATH WIDTH WAS 100 YARDS.

Tornado #19

• Location:  HAYNESVILLE, LA
• Time:  6:49 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:  A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAYNESVILLE. THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN JUST SOUTH OF OLD COLQUITT ROAD ON FIRE DISTRICT ROAD 910 OR ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTH OF HWY 2. AFTER THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN, THE TORNADO MOVED            NORTH, CROSSING HWY 2. SPORADIC TREE DAMAGE WAS FOUND UP TO HOLLY RIDGE ROAD BEFORE DISSIPATION. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 75-85 MPH. PATH LENGTH WAS FIVE MILES AND PATH WIDTH WAS 75 YARDS.

Tornado #20

• Location:  TEXARKANA, TX 
• Time:  7:02 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage: A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 10 MILES SW OF TEXARKANA ON HIGHWAY 67 ABOUT A HALF MILE WEST OF CLEAR SPRINGS ROAD. SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED AND DAMAGED, WITH ADDITIONAL SPORADIC TREE DAMAGE NOTED AS THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST. THE TORNADO DISSIPATED ON TRI STATE ROAD JUST SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 82. THE PATH WIDTH WAS 75 YARDS WIDE WITH A PATH LENGTH OF FOUR MILES. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR FOUR MINUTES. ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 75-85 MPH. 

Tornado #21

• Location:  SHONGALOO, LA
• Time:  7:42 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:   A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN THREE MILES WEST OF TOWN DOWNING A FEW LARGE TREES. SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS WERE ALSO DOWNED ALONG THE PATH. THE PATH WIDTH WAS 50 YARDS WITH A PATH LENGTH OF TWO MILES.

Tornado #22

• Location:  EMERSON, AR
• Time:  8:10 PM
• Rating:  EF0
• Summary of Damage:    A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE TOWN OF EMERSON. SEVERAL TREES WERE DOWNED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 79 AND COUNTY ROAD 26. THE STORM THEN CROSSED HWY 79 AND MOVED NORTHEAST. SPORADIC TREE DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TORNADO WAS OBSERVED JUST EAST OF HWY 79 TO JUST NORTH OF HWY 98. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 75-85 MPH. PATH LENGTH WAS THREE MILES AND PATH WIDTH WAS 75 YARDS.

 

Event Rainfall

 

 Rainfall totals for some selected sites across the region (in  inches):

Southeast Oklahoma

•  Smithville:                              1.94 

East Texas

• Tyler (ASOS):                          0.22
• Longivew (ASOS):                  0.75
• Lufkin (ASOS):                        6.11
• Chireno:                                   6.03
• Diboll:                                       5.38
• Pollock:                                    3.82
• Mt. Pleasant:                           2.20
• Toledo Bend:                          3.29

North Louisiana

• Monroe (ASOS):                      3.74
• Farmerville:                              5.25
• Shreveport Southern Hills:   6.62
• Shreveport (ASOS):                6.42
• Homer:                                     5.04
• Pollock:                                     2.87
• Bentley:                                     3.92
• Columbia:                                3.30
• Keithville:                                  6.21

Southwest Arkansas

• Dequeen (ASOS):                   0.90
• Texarkana (ASOS):                 1.21
• Hope:                                        3.50
• Stamps:                                    3.19
• El Dorado:                                5.12

 

October Rainfall