TORNADOES RAKE SHREVEPORT, LA ON THURSDAY

(Above) Emergency personnel attend to a man after a large steeple fell on his car in downtown Shreveport, LA (Courtesy of Greg Pearson, Shreveport Times)

At least four tornadoes touched down in Northern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas on Thursday. Two of the tornadoes touched down the Shreveport area causing one fatality. The fatality occurred when a man drove into a downed tree that lay across state highway 170.

The first tornado report came just after 1pm near Haughton, LA. Mostly minor damage was reported. However, a downed power-line sparked a large fire at a town-home in the Greenacres subdivision. A large tree fell through the middle of a home as well.

A second tornado touched down in Shreveport around 3:30pm and moved through downtown causing a few reports of major damage. A large steeple blew off the United Methodist Church crushing a vehicle that was passing by at the wrong time. Incredibly, despite a few broken bones, the man escaped serious injury. 

Flooding is also a major concern in the region as several inches of rain has fallen on already saturated grounds. The Sabine river near Bossier City is expected to crest at seven feet above flooding stage over the next week. Residents have been preparing for the worst building sandbag barriers to protect homes and businesses.