A moist and moderately unstable airmass along a cold front moving through the region supported development of thunderstorms across southeast Louisiana late afternoon and evening of May 11th. Although weak low-level flow limited the overall severe-weather organization, locally heavy rainfall occurred in Baton Rouge metro as well as a brief tornado and associated wind damage in St.
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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.
The episode as NWS LIX wrote it up.
A moist and moderately unstable airmass along a cold front moving through the region supported development of thunderstorms across southeast Louisiana late afternoon and evening of May 11th. Although weak low-level flow limited the overall severe-weather organization, locally heavy rainfall occurred in Baton Rouge metro as well as a brief tornado and associated wind damage in St. James Parish near Grand Point and Paulina.
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 May 11, 12:50 PM CST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service New Orleans LA 150 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 ...NEW SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION, MARINE... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 150 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 - Moderate to High confidence in showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight, with localized flooding and a few strong to severe storms possible. - Finally start to dry out Tuesday as ridging builds into the area. Expect temperatures to increase again by mid to late week. && .SHORT TERM... (Now through Friday) Issued at 150 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 Currently monitoring the convective complex moving over the southeast LA Coast including portions of the southshore. This has dropped an inch or two of rain already across the immediate coast with some localized minor flooding taking shape in Grand Isle. This is the first area of precip to monitor. The second is forecast to develop in a few hours along the I10/12 corridor. This will be the best chance for both an isolated severe storm or two and hydro concerns. It appears New Orleans has escaped the heaviest rain, which is good to avoid a hydro primer. However, if a line of convection sets up and sits over town, hydro issues will quickly develop with higher rates. Baton Rouge, same can be said there especially considering they have been the "big winner" in terms of rainfall totals over the last week or so. Additionally, any additional heavy rainfall may have impact on local rivers as well. As for watch headlines...uncertainty in amounts and locations will preclude the issuance. However, WPC is becoming a bit more confident upgrading the marginal ERO to a slight with a slightly higher confidence in flash flooding along the I10 corridor. As the trough upstream finally begins to spread east over the region, the surface front that is currently stalled near BTR to MCB will finally push through the region, which will clear most of the precip out of the area. The GFS wants to hang onto clouds and maybe precip a bit longer on Tuesday. Went with the cloudier solution, but with much drier air moving into the region as the upper levels transition to a dry northwest flow, think precip will be a bit harder to materialize. Upper heights begin to increase going into Tuesday and especially Wednesday as a ridge builds over Texas. This will help promote a warming trend...not to mention the lower rain chances will also allow us to warm during the day. Additionally, surface winds will drop as high pressure moves into the region. Finally, after several active days in the last week, most of the short term beyond the near term will be dry and rather benign outside of warmer temperatures during the afternoon hours. (Frye) && .LONG TERM... (Friday Night through Sunday night) Issued at 150 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 The long term suggests an overall pattern change with upper level flow becoming more zonal and as surface high pressure spreads east of the region, expect a moderate return flow to develop going into the weekend. This will continue to promote a warming and more humid trend going into the weekend. Globals are mostly dry with little QPF signal, but I cannot rule out a stray shower within the moderate onshore flow. Any rogue shower, however, should be the exception rather than the rule and mostly be confined to the coastal locations where frictional convergence is maximized. Otherwise, warmer conditions will continue into the start of next week. (Frye) && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 150 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 SHRA and TSRAs are increasing on the southshore this afternoon. Additional convection will develop along the I10/12 corridor a bit later than earlier thought...and hang around a bit later. With convection expect lower VIS/CIGs MVFR or IFR at times. Otherwise, MVFR conditions once the front passes and rain/convection moves out. Only late in the period will we begin to see some gradual improvement in MVFR CIGs. Otherwise, winds will transitions fully to a northerly or northeasterly direction behind the front. (Frye) && .MARINE... Issued at 150 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026 South to southeast winds of 10 to 15 knots will persist overnight. Anticipating at least one or two more rounds of storms through this afternoon and into tonight with some strong to severe storms possible across marine waters. Main threats will be wind gusts greater than 34 knots and waterspouts. A frontal boundary will move into the waters Monday night, bringing moderate offshore winds through Tuesday before turning onshore again. Otherwise, marine conditions through the rest of the workweek appear to remain rather benign. (Frye) && .LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...None. GM...None. MS...None. GM...None. && SHORT TERM...RDF LONG TERM....RDF AVIATION...RDF MARINE...RDF
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service New Orleans LA
247 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026
LAZ037-071-MSZ069-070-112015-
St. Helena LA-Northern Tangipahoa LA-Pike MS-Amite MS-
247 PM CDT Mon May 11 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN ST.
HELENA AND NORTHWESTERN TANGIPAHOA PARISHES, SOUTHWESTERN PIKE AND
SOUTHEASTERN AMITE COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM CDT
...
At 247 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Osyka, or 14 miles south of Mccomb, moving west at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Greensburg, Magnolia, Kentwood, Osyka, Gillsburg, and Easleyville.
This includes the following Interstates...
Interstate 55 in Louisiana between mile markers 60 and 66.
Interstate 55 in Mississippi between mile markers 1 and 9.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3114 9047 3097 9039 3081 9070 3107 9082
TIME...MOT...LOC 1947Z 068DEG 16KT 3103 9051
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
MEFFERThe Hammond radar (KHDC), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:32 UTC.
5 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Broadcast media shared a photo of flooding on Airline Highway.
Broadcast media shared a photo of flooding on Goodwood Blvd. near Independence Community Park.
Broadcast media shared a photo of flooding on Corporate Boulevard in Baton Rouge.
Local broadcast media relayed a picture of stalled vehicles at the South Acadian underpass at I-10.
A brief, weak EF-0 tornado touched down in the community of Paulina, LA causing minor uplift of shingles on two homes. The tornado tracked north-northeast from Lena Street to Angelle Street at around 8 miles per hour before it was estimated to have lifted. This damage was collocated with a tight tornado vortex signature visible on TMSY doppler radar. No additional damage was identified via reports or aerial imagery. Time estimated by radar.
Home with minor shingle damage on Lena Street in Grand Point.
St. John Parish Sheriff Office reported power outages in Paulina. Possible tornado. Time estimated from Entergy Power Outage map.
ULM meteorology student reported street flooding along Evangeline Road in Montz.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Louisiana, 2026Warnings in Louisiana, May 2026
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1343501, 1343503, 1343505, 1343500, 1343494, 1343489, 1343491, 1343479.