Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes Sweep Across Northern and Central Louisiana

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On Dec. 16, 2019, GOES East spotted severe thunderstorms that reportedly produced a tornado near the city of Alexandria, Louisiana. Earlier in the day, NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center said that there are “numerous ...severe thunderstorms anticipated across parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley and Deep South, with tornadoes and damaging winds as the primary hazards.” The NWS expected that strong gusts and large hail to accompany the storms, with tornadoes likely in northern and central Louisiana.

At 12:42 p.m. CST, the local NWS Office in Lake Charles, La. issued a rare Tornado Emergency for a reported tornado on the ground near Alexandria. The tweet said the tornado could impact over 97,000 people, 38 schools, and nine hospitals. The Lake Charles NWS Office posted about two similar tornadoes that hit the area in November of 1957 ; then, the tornado in Alexandria destroyed more than 300 homes and caused 28 people to be hospitalized.

In the event of a tornado warning (which is different from the less-immediate tornado watch), the NWS advises that affected persons move to the lowest floor of a building and avoid windows. If in a mobile home, vehicle, or outdoors, make a path to the closest substantial shelter and watch for flying debris.

The GOES East geostationary satellite, also known as GOES-16, keeps watch over most of North America, including the continental United States and Mexico, as well as Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of Africa. The satellite's high-resolution imagery provides optimal viewing of severe weather events, including thunderstorms, tropical storms, and hurricanes.

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