At least 8 tornadoes touched down in the ArkLaTex during storms Friday evening

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Shreveport has been surveying damage left behind from Friday’s (Nov. 4) storms. They have determined at least eight tornadoes touched down in the ArkLaTex, killing two people and injuring 22.

TORNADOES #1 & #2 - McCURTAIN COUNTY, OKLA.

The first tornadoes of the evening hit the northwest corner of McCurtain County, Okla. as supercell thunderstorm moved through. This individual storm was responsible for two tornadoes. The first touched down near Pickens, Okla., killing one person and injuring another. This tornado has been rated EF-2 with peak winds of 125 mph.

According to the NWS:

“A damage survey team confirmed an EF-2 tornado touched down in extreme northwestern McCurtain County near the Pickens community. The tornado first touched down off of Battiest Pickens Road where it completely destroyed a chicken house, removed large sections of a roof of a home, and snapped multiple hardwood trees. As the tornado continued on, it hit a double wide mobile home that was tied down with straps which were snapped and had footings pulled out of the ground. The mobile home vaulted to the NW and led to the fatality of a male. A vehicle was also rolled at this location. The tornado continued on to uproot and snap hardwood and softwood trees as it crossed Mount Zion Church Rd, Glover Road, and Cedarwood Lane. The tornado lifted near Coleman Road.”

The second tornado, an EF-1 with peak winds of 105 mph, touched down a few minutes later north of Battiest.

“This tornado developed in heavily wooded terrain in far northern McCurtain County near Short Mountain, Wildhorse Mountain, and Spring Mountain. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted as it crossed Dog Creek northeast into southern Le Flore County southeast of Honobia. This is part of an overall 10.2 mile total path between NWS Shreveport and NWS Tulsa’s areas,” NWS officials said.

TORNADO #3 - RED RIVER COUNTY, TEXAS & McCURTAIN COUNTY, OKLA.

A powerful EF-4 tornado developed in Red River County, Texas and travelled a total of 58 miles into McCurtain County, Okla. Peak winds were estimated at 170 mph and this tornado at its widest was half a mile across. Thirteen people were injured as a result of this tornado.

Details from the NWS damage survey:

“The tornado initially touched down near the Fulbright community southwest of Clarksville. An aerial survey confirmed that the tornado damage was to tin metal roof panels that were peeled off of a plant on CR-1200. As the tornado continued, near FM-411, a single family home had all of its walls removed with only the interior room left standing where a family of three sheltered where winds were estimated at 150 mph. This location is where the strongest confirmed winds are currently along the tornado’s path. After it crossed FM-411, it hit another single family home and collapsed all the walls, injuring a woman who left their vehicle to take shelter inside the home.

The tornado continued on to CR-1275 where debarking of a few trees was first observed in addition to thousands of trees that were snapped and uprooted throughout the path of the tornado. It then crossed US-82, CR-2123, CR-2124, and FM-2283. At FM-2283, it destroyed a single family home along with several outbuildings. The home could not be surveyed at this location as debris removal had already begun. The tornado then continued to move along CR-2125 and CR-2030 before taking a more eastward jog across SH-37. At this point, it is estimated that it was about a third of a mile wide and it began to widen further as it demonstrated more widespread tree snaps and isolated debarking throughout the remainder of Red River County, TX.

After crossing SH-37, the tornado wiped a single family home off of its foundation north of Clarksville with large portions of the walls and roof carried several hundred yards northeast of the home. This damage was surrounded by widespread tree snaps with isolated debarking. 10 people on the property of the home wiped off its foundation took shelter in an oil drain of a metal outbuilding that was completely destroyed with no injuries. The damage swath widened to at least 0.4 miles northeast of Clarksville as it approached Acworth and continued to cross the Red River. Before it crossed the Red River, it lifted a double wide manufactured home off the ground near FM-1159 and threw it 50 yards with three dogs in it that all survived. There were several more structures in the Acworth community that were destroyed, but have not been analyzed from the ground at this time.

After crossing the Red River and entering McCurtain County, Oklahoma, the tornado produced EF-2 damage in rural areas southwest of Idabel, ripping the roofs off several single family homes. Before reaching Idabel, the tornado missed the Oklahoma Mesonet Idabel observing platform off of Ravens Nest Road by approximately 150 yards. At the platform, a measured gust of 108 mph was recorded by the 10m anemometer and based on the damage pattern of the grass in the area, it was determined that this gust was from the rear flank downdraft of the supercell thunderstorm. Other nearby single family homes sustained roof damage and damage intensified to EF-2 with winds at 125 estimated where large section of the roof structure was removed and a wall collapsed on a single family home off of Osprey Road. The tornado moved on to snap several hundred trees before hitting a single family home off of Boss Rd which had a wall collapse and partial roof damage that could not be rated due to trees falling into the home. More EF-2 damage was observed as the tornado approached US-259 when the tornado removed the roof and much of the second story of a single family home. The two people in the home took shelter on the first floor under the stairs, preventing injury as 125 mph winds damaged the home.

As the tornado got into Idabel, more single family home damage was observed to roofs of homes in several neighborhoods on the southeast side of Idabel. One of the most hard hit subdivisions was Country Club Estates. None of the homes could be rated in Country Club Estates due to tree damage which resulted in much of the structural damage from trees falling into homes. Nearby, at the Idabel Country Club, nearly every tree sustained damage on approximately 6 holes, with mostly snaps observed with EF-2 damage. The tornado continued on to hit the Kiamichi Family Medical Center which was rated at EF-2 (115 mph) due to the uplift of the lightweight roof deck and insulation. As the tornado approached US-259 and East Washington Street, it damaged the sign of a McDonald’s and completely destroyed the Donut Crossing store. After crossing East Washington Street, it re-strengthened to an EF-3 and completely destroyed the Trinity Baptist Church. Winds at this point were estimated to be 140 mph with the total destruction of the metal building system which was surrounded by a brick wall that collapsed with concrete anchors pulled from the ground. Tornado moved on to produce narrow EF-2 damage in the more broader EF-1 damage swath with small vortices likely extending down to the ground from the elevated large funnel cloud at this point.

After pushing northeast of Idabel, the tornado crossed mainly rural areas and completely destroyed chicken houses while snapping hardwood and softwood trees for the next approximately ten miles. An aerial survey indicates that the tornado briefly lifted near the Little River and then touched down again in a forested area before damaging a metal structure atop a chicken plant off of Craig Rd. A survey team from NWS Little Rock picked up EF-2 damage with 135 mph winds between Eagletown and Broken Bow just south of US-70. Many large, old growth pines and hardwoods were uprooted or snapped and several wooden utility poles were also snapped. A double wide mobile home at the eastern end of Box Turtle Road was moved 30 feet north of its original location, causing near total destruction of the home. Only around one-third of the walls/roof were left with the remainder of the structure removed and scattered well to the north. The exposed undercarriage was bent and twisted in several locations.

As the tornado crossed US-70 immediately west of Eagletown, many additional pines and hardwoods were uprooted or snapped. Nearly all utility poles within the path were also snapped or pushed over. The tornado then moved into a heavily forested area north of Eagletown with more sporadic damage noted along Old Winship Road. The track of this tornado may continue to the McCurtain-Polk- Sevier tri-county border, but this area has not been reached yet by aerial or ground survey.”

TORNADO #4 - MORRIS COUNTY, TEXAS TO CASS COUNTY, TEXAS

The fourth tornado of the evening touched down near Daingerfield in Morris County, Texas. It travelled almost 17 miles, lifting just east of Naples, Texas in Cass County. This tornado has been rated EF-3 with peak winds of 140 mph. One person was killed and eight were injured due to this tornado.

According to the NWS:

“A supercell thunderstorm which produced a brief and weak tornado in eastern Camp County, TX then went on to produce a stronger and longer-lasting tornado from southwestern Morris County and into northwestern Cass County, TX. This tornado initially started along FM-144 south of the Cason community and became quite destructive quickly, producing EF-2 damage to a handful of structures before tracking northeast to Texas Highway 11. A few mobile homes were destroyed near the start of the tornado and this resulted in at least several injuries. The tornado continued to track northeast from Texas Highway 11 to Highway 49, doing mostly EF-1 damage for 3 miles before reaching Highway 49. As the tornado crossed Highway 49, two nearby homes were completely destroyed and largely swept from their foundations and at least one injury resulted. This damage was only rated as EF-2 because the pier and beam foundation construction of both homes did not well anchor the structures to the wind loading.

The tornado continued to the northeast and soon completely destroyed a mobile home along County Road 3201, where the one fatality associated with this tornado occurred. The tornado continued to advance northeastward, doing mainly EF-1 level damage to trees and some structures before knocking over and destroying a few large electrical transmission lines near the intersection of County Road 3211 and County Road 3209. The team estimated 125 mph EF-2 winds were required to do this structural damage. Finally, the tornado continued on another 7 miles to the northeast across US Highway 259 and across Highway 77 in far northwestern Cass county, before lifting shortly thereafter. In the last stage, the tornado produced mainly EF-1 damage to a mix of trees and structures.”

TORNADO #5 - BOWIE COUNTY, TEXAS

The same supercell thunderstorm that produced the EF-3 tornado in Morris and Cass County, Texas went on to produce a second EF-3 tornado in Bowie County, Texas. Winds peaked at 140 mph here also.

From the damage survey:

“This tornado first touched down along US-67 to the southwest of Simms and quickly grew in strength and width after going a few miles, briefly reaching a width of nearly half a mile at times. Just west of Simms and continuing northeast just past FM-561 the tornado produced many instances of EF-2 damage to both trees and structures. As the tornado crossed FM-561 there were several structures, a few well built, which had roofs and many walls removed and 130 to 135 mph estimated peak winds were just slightly below the EF-3 threshold. Interestingly, near this structural damage there was a small section of asphalt road removed from FM-561 and the road debris thrown into one residence. Fortunately and incredibly there were no injuries in these areas. The tornado then tracked northeast nearly 4 miles through very rural and uninhabited areas west of State Highway 98. The tornado finally moved back over Highway 98 and produced another area of considerable damage at the intersection of Highway 98 and County Road 1840. In this area several structures were largely destroyed, including a few small retail buildings, and this again garnered some higher end EF-2 ratings with fortunately no injuries. After this point the tornado went its final 7 miles by crossing the southwestern, then western, then northern portions of the city of New Boston, before ending just west of Highway 8 north of Interstate 30. After the tornado crossed I-30, trees covered I-30 eastbound, blocking traffic. Damage to structures and trees in these areas was mostly of EF-1 caliber, although considerable damage to one or two well-built homes on the western side of New Boston did warrant an EF-2 damage rating.”

TORNADO #6 - HOWARD COUNTY, ARK.

A third tornado was produced by the Morris/Cass/Bowie County supercell in Howard County, Ark. This tornado has been rated EF-2 with peak winds of 115 mph.

TORNADO #7 - CASS COUNTY, TEXAS

A brief EF-1 tornado touched down in Hughes Springs in Cass County, Texas. Peak winds are estimated at 110 mph.

From the NWS:

“A survey team from found tornado damage evident on the southern side of Hughes Springs just south of CR-2612. The tornado moved to the northeast into Hughes Springs where EF-1 damage was noted. Two single family residences sustained partial roof damage. The forest station on Pine Street also sustained damage to the roof and walls. Additionally, numerous large trees were downed along the path. Power poles were also snapped along the path. Additional damage was found downstream west of Douglassville on CR-2340 and TX-77 which will require further analysis. This could extend the tornado path.”

TORNADO #8 - CADDO PARISH, LA.

A weak EF-0 tornado with peak winds of 85 mph briefly touched down a few miles southeast of Bethany.

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