Tornado in Louisiana, January 26, 2012

Name: Tornado in Louisiana, January 26, 2012
Start: 2012-01-26T07:25
End: 2012-01-26T07:26
Location: Louisiana

January 26, 2012 · NWS LIX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Low pressure moving across the lower Mississippi River Valley pushed a cold front through the area. A line of thunderstorms developed in advance of the front and produced a tornado over Plaquemines Parish.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LIX wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS New Orleans, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 26, 6:44 AM CST, 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 26, 6:44 AM CST, 41 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 26, 5:07 AM CST, 2 hours 18 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
507 AM CST THU JAN 26 2012

GMZ530-532-534-536-538-550-552-555-557-570-572-575-577-LAZ034>037-
039-040-046>050-056>072-MSZ068>071-077-080>082-271115-
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND LAKE MAUREPAS-MISSISSIPPI SOUND-
LAKE BORGNE-CHANDELEUR SOUND-BRETON SOUND-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT FOURCHON TO LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER OUT
20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
TO PORT FOURCHON OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM BOOTHVILLE LA TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO STAKE ISLAND LA OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT FOURCHON TO LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER FROM
20 TO 60 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
TO PORT FOURCHON FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM STAKE ISLAND LA TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO STAKE ISLAND LA FROM 20 TO
60 NM-POINTE COUPEE-WEST FELICIANA-EAST FELICIANA-ST. HELENA-
WASHINGTON-ST. TAMMANY-IBERVILLE-WEST BATON ROUGE-
EAST BATON ROUGE-ASCENSION-LIVINGSTON-ASSUMPTION-ST. JAMES-
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-UPPER LAFOURCHE-ST. CHARLES-UPPER JEFFERSON-
ORLEANS-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-
LOWER TERREBONNE-LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER JEFFERSON-
LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-NORTHERN TANGIPAHOA-
SOUTHERN TANGIPAHOA-WILKINSON-AMITE-PIKE-WALTHALL-PEARL RIVER-
HANCOCK-HARRISON-JACKSON-
507 AM CST THU JAN 26 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA...SOUTH MISSISSIPPI AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND A THREAT OF
FLASH FLOODING THIS MORNING. THE RISK AREA IS ALONG AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM NEAR TYLERTOWN TO HAMMOND TO HOUMA. THE MAIN THREATS
FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES...WITH A LOWER RISK OF LARGE HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES IN A SHORT PERIOD
OF TIME ARE POSSIBLE WHERE REPEAT THUNDERSTORMS OCCUR.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE COASTAL WATERS AND
SOUNDS FROM 9 AM TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT FOR WINDS NEAR 20 KNOTS OR
HIGHER...AND HAZARDOUS WAVES AND SEAS FOR SMALL CRAFT. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING ISOLATED WATERSPOUTS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS THIS MORNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE RISK OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE ACTIVATION THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO
OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF
SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...IS REQUESTED THIS MORNING...BUT IS
OTHERWISE NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH NEXT WEDNESDAY. SPOTTERS
SHOULD REPORT SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
NEW ORLEANS WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LIX.

22/TD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 26, 2:03 AM CST, 5 hours 22 minutes before

LAZ046-049-050-056>059-065-260900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
203 AM CST THU JAN 26 2012

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AFFECTING ST. JAMES
...ASCENSION...UPPER TERREBONNE...ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST...ASSUMPTION
...LIVINGSTON...UPPER LAFOURCHE...AND IBERVILLE PARISHES...

AT 200 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
DONALDSONVILLE TO 7 MILES SOUTH OF NAPOLEONVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 35 MPH.

THE LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND...
NAPOLEONVILLE...LABADIEVILLE...DONALDSONVILLE...GEISMER...GONZALES...
PRAIRIEVILLE...SORRENTO...CONVENT...LUTCHER...GRAMERCY...WHITEHALL...
GARYVILLE...EDGARD...LIVINGSTON...RESERVE AND KILLIAN

THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND
GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH...WHICH COULD DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND
UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING
UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.

Special weather statement, Jan 26, 4:58 AM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

LAZ039-040-072-261130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
458 AM CST THU JAN 26 2012

...CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AFFECTING ST.
TAMMANY PARISH...SOUTHERN TANGIPAHOA PARISH...WASHINGTON PARISH...

AT 456 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 9 MILES WEST OF COVINGTON...OR ABOUT
5 MILES EAST OF ROBERT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THE CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND
AROUND...FOLSOM...FRANKLINTON AND ENON

THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND
GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH...WHICH COULD DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND
UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING
UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

Special weather statement, Jan 26, 5:55 AM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

LAZ040-072-261230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
555 AM CST THU JAN 26 2012

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING NORTHEAST AFFECTING ST. TAMMANY
PARISH...SOUTHERN TANGIPAHOA PARISH...

AT 552 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 13 MILES WEST OF MANDEVILLE...OR ABOUT 9 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MADISONVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND...
MADISONVILLE...COVINGTON AND FOLSOM

THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THIS STORM ARE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND
GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH...WHICH COULD DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND
UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING
UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

Special weather statement, Jan 26, 5:58 AM CST, 1 hour 27 minutes before

LAZ039-MSZ071-077-261230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
558 AM CST THU JAN 26 2012

...CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AFFECTING
WALTHALL COUNTY...PEARL RIVER COUNTY...WASHINGTON PARISH...

AT 557 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR BOGALUSA...OR ABOUT 3 MILES
NORTH OF BOGALUSA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THE CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND
AROUND...CROSSROADS...VARNADO AND ANGIE

THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND
GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH...WHICH COULD DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND
UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING
UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

Special weather statement, Jan 26, 6:21 AM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

LAZ059-061>064-067>070-261315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
621 AM CST THU JAN 26 2012

...CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AFFECTING UPPER
LAFOURCHE PARISH...UPPER JEFFERSON PARISH...UPPER PLAQUEMINES
PARISH...LOWER LAFOURCHE PARISH...LOWER JEFFERSON PARISH...ORLEANS
PARISH...LOWER PLAQUEMINES PARISH...UPPER ST. BERNARD PARISH...LOWER
ST. BERNARD PARISH...

AT 620 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 15 MILES EAST OF GALLIANO...OR ABOUT
12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MYRTLE GROVE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND
AROUND...LAFITTE...BARATARIA...MYRTLE GROVE...JEAN LAFITTE...BELLE
CHASSE...TERRYTOWN...CHALMETTE...VIOLET AND YSCLOSKEY

THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND
GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH...WHICH COULD DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND
UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING
UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

7/ARM

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Plaquemines

When: January 26, 7:25 AM CST to 7:26 AM CST
Where: Plaquemines County, 1.77 mi NNW of Venice to 1.97 mi NNW of Venice
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.24 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 29.304, -89.381

A weak tornado touched down and ripped siding and a portion of the roof off a metal boat storage building, snapped a couple of small trees, destroyed a storage shed at a residence, and moved a shipping container 30 feet. Maximum wind speed was estimated at 80 mph, path width was 30 yards, path length was 400 yards.

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Louisiana in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Louisiana, 2012 Warnings in Louisiana, January 2012

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 355030.