Tornadoes cause major damage in Arabi, Lower 9th Ward, and other areas

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Tornadoes touched down Tuesday night (March 22) causing major damage in Arabi, the Lower 9th Ward, Lacombe, Mandeville, and other areas.

One person was killed in Arabi and multiple people were injured.

Widespread damage was reported in St. Bernard Parish.

A rare, multi-vortex tornado ripped through Arabi and the Lower 9th Ward.

Arabi resident Richie Majors said he hunkered down with his family and in an instant, everything changed.

“I went to the bathroom maybe ten seconds tops,” Majors said. “It wasn’t very long. We come outside and it looks like Ukraine.”

In New Orleans East and St. Bernard Parish, homes were leveled, cars destroyed, and power lines downed.

Drone video the following morning captured the extent of devastation in Arabi.

Despite reports of tornado sightings on the North Shore, early returns appear that damage was minimal there and isolated to densely wooded areas.

TORNADO AFTERMATH

VIDEO: Rare, multi-vortex tornado strikes New Orleans, killing 1

'It was louder than a freight train': Arabi mom describes tornado experience

Analyzing video evidence of Tuesday's Arabi tornado with meteorologist Zack Fradella

'The sound was amazing': Tornado experience on Benjamin Street in Arabi

St. Bernard Parish tornado update with Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann and President Guy McInnis

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2022 WVUE. All rights reserved.