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Significant damage is reported following a large tornado that swept through the New Orleans area early this evening. According to officials the community of Arabi (air-uh-bee) in St Bernard Parish has experienced major damage, as well as the lower Ninth Ward in the city of New Orleans and parts of Jefferson Parish. There are unconfirmed reports that people have been trapped in collapsed buildings.
Last night New Orleans dealt with a tornado and before that, it was Elgin Texas where a young truck driver accidentally was treated to the ride of his life after he drove directly through the funnel of a damaging EF2 tornado on Monday. Just before crossing the road, the tornado destroyed a mobile home, injuring one and sending debris and dust from the house up into the air and across the highway. As the twister churned toward the highway, little was in its path other than a lone red truck and its driver.
… The truck, a red 2004 Chevrolet Silverado, was quickly enveloped by the twisting winds of the tornado as it crossed the highway in front of storm chaser Brian Emfinger.
… As power lines in the path of the tornado sparked and buckled due to the high winds, the truck was shoved over onto its side. With the truck fully on its side, the winds managed to spin the vehicle a full 360 before somehow flipping the truck back onto all four wheels, all while whipping around large debris from the mobile home, trees and power lines.
… The driver kept driving down the road after the unbelievably close encounter with the tornado, suffering just a cut on his arm. Emfinger did stop the truck and give the teen his phone so that he could call his parents. The truck appeared to survive the storm largely undamaged as well, as it was able to drive away with its headlights on even after the type of weather encounter its manufacturers may not have tested for.