NEW ORLEANS – A drone captured incredible video of a tornado tearing across New Orleans on Wednesday night during a multiday severe weather outbreak that left at least three people dead and dozens more injured.
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In the video, you can see the tornado crossing the Mississippi River and moving into the town of Arabi.
As the tornado continues on its path of destruction, you can see power flashes lighting up the sky as transformers explode and power lines are brought down due to the strong winds.
After the storm passed, damage surveys began to determine how strong the tornado was on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, but the National Weather Service said it could take some time to process all the results.
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Jefferson Parish Councilman Scott Walker said significant damage was reported there due to the tornado.
“There was a Winn-Dixie off the West Bank Expressway, which is sort of the interstate that leads you to the Crescent City connection into the city,” he said. “The roof collapsed there; there’s some significant damage to that store.”
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Cindy DeLucca Hernandez said she was in Arabi, Louisiana, when she spotted the tornado.
“It was 4:07 p.m., and I was on my way home from work, trying to beat the rain home,” Hernandez said. “We were at the light and saw the debris and got hit by it, so I put the car in reverse, and I waited. I was in shock.”
In March, two tornadoes tore through a part of New Orleans, killing a 25-year-old man and leaving a wide path of destruction.
The largest of the two, rated at least an EF-3 by the NWS, was seen as a large, multi-vortex tornado tracking 11 miles into Arabi and the Lower Ninth Ward.
Areas that saw damage were Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Tammany and Jefferson parishes. Some of the same communities saw damage during the most recent event on Wednesday.
The town of Arabi was also devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Some spots were 10 to 20 feet underwater when the levees broke during Katrina.