Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, May 11, 2023

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, May 11, 2023
Start: 2023-05-11T05:06
End: 2023-05-11T17:30
Location: Louisiana

May 11, 2023 · NWS SHV · 15 events in 9 counties and zones

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: $80,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

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 SHV wrote it up.

An upper level low pressure system slowly ejected northeast across the piney woods of East Texas during the evening through the morning hours of May 10th-11th. A southerly low level jet present ahead of the low spilled copious amounts of low level moisture north into East Texas and Western Louisiana, with strong large scale forcing ahead of the low enhancing numerous shower and thunderstorm development which moved repeatedly over these areas throughout much of the overnight into the early morning hours. Widespread rainfall amounts of 2-4+ inches fell across much of North Louisiana during the morning through the early afternoon hours on the 11th, resulting in instances of flash flooding across this area. Given the strong low level wind shear out ahead of the low, as well as increased instability especially with the onset of daytime heating, severe thunderstorms containing damaging winds, while also spawning a few isolated tornadoes, were observed throughout the morning as well before eventually diminishing during the afternoon.

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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 11, 3:10 AM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 11, 3:10 AM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 11, 4:00 AM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 11, 1:50 AM CST, 3 hours 16 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 11, 2:20 AM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes before

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The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 5 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:08 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 tornado, 5 flash flood, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Caddo

When: May 11, 5:06 AM CST to 5:12 AM CST
Where: Caddo County, 0.87 mi S of Summer Grove to 0.99 mi NE of Cutoff Jct
Rating: EF1
Path length: 2.65 mi
Path width: 130 yd
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 32.407, -93.831

A weak EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 88 mph, touched down near the intersection of Cedar Creek Drive and Dean Road, before moving northeast across Highway 3132, St. Helens Drive, Hickory Ridge Road, Meriwether Road, Parkdale Drive, Walker Road, before lifting along West 70th Street on the southeast side of the Shreveport Regional Airport. Most of the damage was limited to tree limb damage and tree uproots, although a few structures were damaged by falling limbs. The most highly rated damage occurred between Meriwether Road and Parkdale Drive, where a handful of snapped softwood trees warranted a peak wind speed of 88 mph. A tornadic debris signature for the Shreveport dopplar radar was coincident with the majority of the tornado's track.

Tornado, De Soto

When: May 11, 6:55 AM CST to 6:56 AM CST
Where: De Soto County, 3.22 mi NNW of Hunter to 3.17 mi NNW of Hunter
Rating: EF1
Path length: 0.19 mi
Path width: 130 yd
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 31.942, -93.894

A EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 100 mph, briefly touched down along the west and east sides of Highway 763 a couple miles south of Stanley. Along its brief path, several softwood trees were snapped but multiple hardwood and softwood trees were uprooted. An outbuilding and a single family home on the west side of the road sustained roof damage by wind impacts alone. There was also minor wind damage to a single-wide mobile home on the east side of the road. A tornadic debris signature |from the Shreveport dopplar radar was observed with the surveyed damage, but also continued about a mile farther east. This suggests that the tornado probably continued on farther east for some distance after the end of the surveyed track, although the NWS survey team had no ground access to survey points immediately to the east.

Tornado, Grant

When: May 11, 7:03 AM CST to 7:04 AM CST
Where: Grant County, 4.6 mi SW of Oakgrove to 4.29 mi WSW of Oakgrove
Rating: EF1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 31.483, -92.615

An EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 90 mph was captured on video briefly touching down along Highway 71 several miles southeast of Colfax, and tracked parallel to Rigolette Road. Along its path, it downed large branches and snapped/uprooted approximately 15 hardwood trees in a convergent pattern.

Tornado, Webster

When: May 11, 7:21 AM CST to 7:22 AM CST
Where: Webster County, 2.87 mi SW of Dorcheat to 2.73 mi SW of Dorcheat
Rating: EF1
Path length: 0.14 mi
Path width: 60 yd
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 32.638, -93.382

An EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 90 mph, briefly touched down off of Fuller Road and Doerge Lane. Along its path, the tornado uprooted 6 hardwood trees in a convergent pattern. It also damaged the roof of a small metal outbuilding and porch of a single family home before lifting.

Flash Flood, Caddo

When: May 11, 7:43 AM CST to 11:45 AM CST
Where: Caddo County, 1.79 mi NNW of Lake View to 1.78 mi NNW of Lake View
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 32.542, -93.847

Street flooding was reported at the Kansas City Southern Railroad underpass on North Lakeshore Drive.

Flash Flood, De Soto

When: May 11, 7:53 AM CST to 12:45 PM CST
Where: De Soto County, 0.87 mi ESE of Mansfield Arpt to 2.38 mi SW of South Mansfield
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 32.067, -93.756

Multiple reports from mPING of flash flooding in and near Mansfield. Multiple streets were closed with vehicles stranded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Red River

When: May 11, 8:33 AM CST
Where: Red River County, 0.43 mi NNE of Martin
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.086, -93.218

Multiple trees and power lines were blown down near Martin.

Flash Flood, De Soto

When: May 11, 8:38 AM CST to 12:45 PM CST
Where: De Soto County, 2.36 mi NNW of Logansport to 2.33 mi SSE of Funston
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.000, -94.020

Multiple roads were flooded near Logansport with vehicles stranded in the high water.

Flash Flood, Red River

When: May 11, 9:11 AM CST to 12:15 PM CST
Where: Red River County, 2.74 mi N of Coushatta to 0.4 mi NNE of Springville
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 32.059, -93.344

Multiple reports from mPING of flooding in and near Coushatta with streets flooded and vehicles stranded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Natchitoches

When: May 11, 9:13 AM CST
Where: Natchitoches County, 0.5 mi N of Creston
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 31.977, -93.050

A tree was downed near Creston.

Thunderstorm Wind, Winn

When: May 11, 9:52 AM CST
Where: Winn County, 1.81 mi NNW of Dodson
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.105, -92.679

A tree was downed across the southbound lane of Highway 167 just north of Dodson.

Thunderstorm Wind, Winn

When: May 11, 9:52 AM CST
Where: Winn County, 0.79 mi NW of Winnfield
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 31.928, -92.640

Trees were downed across several roads in Winnfield.

Tornado, Union

When: May 11, 9:59 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Union County, 4.28 mi E of Haile to 4.44 mi E of Haile
Rating: EF1
Path length: 0.58 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 32.821, -92.077

An EF-1 tornado with maximum estimated winds near 95 mph briefly touched down along Hooker Hole Road in extreme Eastern Union Parish just west of the Ouachita River, where drone footage and pictures showed that it snapped and twisted trees and broke large branches on both sides of the road before quickly lifting.

Flash Flood, Union

When: May 11, 10:45 AM CST to 5:30 PM CST
Where: Union County, 2.29 mi ENE of Farmerville to 2.25 mi SSW of Canbeal
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 32.786, -92.366

A culvert was washed out on Highway 828 between Dean Road and Willie Brantley Road, which forced the closure of the road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caldwell

When: May 11, 10:48 AM CST
Where: Caldwell County, 2.23 mi SW of Hebert
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 32.160, -92.010

A tree was blown down across Highway 133 several miles northeast of Columbia.

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.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Louisiana in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Louisiana, 2023 Warnings in Louisiana, May 2023

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1100052, 1100053, 1100054, 1100055, 1100157, 1100160, 1100162, 1100161, 1100164, 1100163, 1100165, 1100166, 1100051, 1100168, 1100167.