Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, January 8 to 27, 2013

Heavy rain during Tuesday evening caused several roadways near Saint Martinville to be closed from flooding. Roads and schools remained closed into the 10th. Crawfish farmers in the area had crops washed out due to the amount of rainfall. Around 30 homes received damage from the flood waters.

Heavy rain during Tuesday evening caused several roadways to close from flooding. Some roads and schools remained closed during the 9th.

Heavy rain during Tuesday evening caused several secondary roadways northwest of Avery Island to closed from flooding. Radar estimates were around 7 inches during the event. Roads and schools remained closed into the 10th. Crawfish farmers in the area had crops washed out due to the amount of rainfall. Over 40 homes had flood waters damage them.

After a wet start to the year more rain fell on the 9th. Slow moving thunderstorms moved into far Southeast Texas and South Louisiana. Flooding began in Texas, but soon moved into Calcasieu Parish where KLCH recorded 3.67 inches on the day, however just northwest of the airport 6.5 was recorded along Nelson Road. Roads were reported flooded along high 171 in Moss Bluff with water very near homes and along Nelson Road north of Gauthier Road. Many roadways around Lake Charles had varying depths of water making travel difficult. Dozens of homes had flood waters enter them.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms fell on saturated ground. While most of the heaviest rain fell to the east of Calcasieu Parish flooding was still reported around the Iowa area. Portions of Highway 165 were flooded along with numerous roads around the Iowa area. Dozens of homes had flood waters enter them around the Iowa area.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms fell on saturated ground. This produced flash flooding across Jefferson Davis Parish with street closings first being reported around Jennings during the early evening of the 9th. By the morning of the 10th most streets in Jennings contained various depths of water. Schools across the parish were closed during the 10th. The 24 hour rainfall total for Jennings was 8.64 inches.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms fell on saturated ground causing flash flooding across much of Acadia Parish. Roads became impassable during the evening of the 9th with evacuations occurring around Crowley and Church Point on the morning of the 10th. In the Shady Oaks area of Crowley several homes flooded.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms fell on saturated ground causing flash flooding across mainly the western half of Saint Landry Parish. Numerous roads were flooded and impassable across the parish and some structures received flood waters. The Savoy Music center in Eunice flooded, however most structures flooded after the rain had stopped. Evacuations around the Eunice area also occurred due to high and rising water. Rainfall totals during the event ranged from 6 to 12 inches with Eunice receiving over one foot.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms fell on saturated ground. Impacts on Northeast Cameron Parish were fairly minimal; however water still covered portions of Highway 384 during the flash flood. The 24 hour rainfall total at the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge was 8.75 inches.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms fell on saturated ground causing flash flooding across mainly western Saint Landry Parish. Numerous roads were flooded and impassable across the parish including Highway 190 in Ville Platte. A few miles south of Ville Platte a few homes in the Belair Cove area flooded.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms fell on saturated ground. Numerous roads were closed across Rapides Parish and were first reported around Hineston. Alexandria and areas to the south and east received between 6 and 8 inches during the 24 hour period. Esler Regional Airport received 7.3 inches.

Heavy rain fell on saturated ground during the 9th and 10th causing road closures in portions of Lafayette Parish. Over 60 homes had flood waters enter them.

Heavy rain from training thunderstorms fell on saturated ground causing numerous roads to be closed across Avoyelles Parish. Between 6 and 8.5 inches fell across portions of the parish with 8.45 inches being recorded in Bunkie. Schools in the parish closed for the 10th.

A tornado touched down on the south side of Breaux Bridge near Molbert Lane. It flipped a trailer on Roma DR with one occupant who emerged uninjured. Several homes on Roma and Brandt Streets had roof damage. The tornado crossed Bayou Teche and peeled part of a metal roof off a home on Clause DR. On Grand Pointe AVE a dance hall had part of its roof removed. A small business on the corner of 11th ST and Grand Pointe AVE had the entire roof removed. The tornado continued through a residential community where many homes received minor roof or siding damage before dissipating in a field near Doyle Melancon Road.

A tornado touched down near Meco town road where it pushed 3 single-wide mobile homes off their pilings and peeled part of the metal roofs or walls off 6 other mobile homes. It then touched down again on orange grove AVE where it ripped a large section of a barn roof off and destroyed several outbuildings. Its final damage location was on Cajun DR where it knocked one mobile home off its pilings and damaged several other mobile homes, carports, and outbuildings.

River Gauges along Big Brushy Creek near Pitkin indicated water levels rose above flood stage during the morning of the 10th. A few roads remained closed in southeast sections of the parish as flood waters receded according to media.

Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across the Mermentau Basin. Major flooding was recorded on the Mermentau River at Mermentau as waters slowly drained from Bayous Nezpique near Basile and Des Cannes near Eunice and others. 189 structures were flooded across the parish during the event (flash flood and river flood) and the river did not fall below flood stage until the 27th. The total damage during the whole event for the parish was 39.9 million dollars with the vast majority of that occurring during the river flood.

Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across the Mermentau Basin. Major flooding was recorded on the Mermentau River at Mermentau just southeast of Jennings as waters slowly drained. Most of the damage from the flooding occurred over the southeast portions of the parish from Lake Arthur to Jennings. In Lake Arthur schools were closed and curfews were set as levees broke and homes flooded. 85 homes flooded across Jefferson Davis Parish during the flood event.

Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across the Mermentau Basin. Major flooding was recorded on the Mermentau River at Mermentau in Acadia Parish and flooding was also noted at the Lacassine NWR. As the flood water traveled down the basin the water spread across the coastal marsh and the Intercostal Canal and drained through Vermilion Bay and Calcasieu Lake lessening the impact on the parish, however 3 homes still flooded.

Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across the Mermentau and Vermilion Basins. Major flooding was recorded on the Mermentau River at Mermentau in Acadia Parish upstream of NW Vermilion Parish and flooding was also noted at Perry and the Broussard Bridge. Flood waters receded along the southern portions of the Vermilion by the 17th, however flood waters did not drop below flood stage along the Mermentau until the 27th. 104 structures flooded during the event mainly near the Mermentau River.

Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across the Mermentau Basin including Bayous Nezpique and Des Cannes. 52 structures flooded across the parish during the event. Bayou Nezpique at Basile fell below flood stage during the morning of the 19th.

Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across the Mermentau Basin and northern sections of the Vermilion Basin. Flooding was most severe across the west half of Saint Landry Parish. Major flooding occurred on Bayou Des Cannes near Eunice and flood waters receded during the evening of the 18th. The Vermilion fell below flood stage south of the parish line during the night of the 20th. Across the parish 235 structures flooded during the event including the Visitor Information Center north of Opelousas.

Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across Rapides Parish through the Red River and Bayous Boeuf, Cocodrie and others. The water level on Bayou Cocodrie fell below flood stage during the late morning hours of the 19th. During the flood event 164 home were damaged.

Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across Avoyeles Parish. During the flood event 114 homes were damaged.

A tornado touched down in a field off Harry Huval Road south-southeast of Breaux Bridge. It destroyed a large two story barn. The debris from the barn hit a home and made numerous puncture holes in the roof and walls. A mobile home across the street also had debris hit it and cause damage to the corner of the roof and wall. Another near by mobile home was pulled off of its pilings and caused structure damage.