Tornado hits small town in Louisiana as Harvey makes landfall in Texas
NEW ORLEANS—A tornado that spawned from Harvey hit the Cameron Parish town of Hackberry on Saturday, causing property damage but no injuries or fatalities.
Gov. John Bel Edwards said the National Weather Service confirmed the twister touched down about 12:25 p.m.
“There was significant property damage, but thankfully no reports of injuries or fatalities,” he said.
Meteorologist Jared Rackley said they have yet to survey the area but photos showed at least one overturned camper and other structural damage.
Meanwhile, he said, a tornado watch remained in place for parts of Louisiana until 2 a.m. today. He urged residents to remain on guard as a heavy amount of rain was expected to fall on the state over the next several days.
“This is a large and powerful storm,” Edwards said. “We will see rain in Louisiana as well but it’s difficult to predict what will happen next.”
The weather service does not believe the storm will re-enter the Gulf of Mexico and come to southern Louisiana, but Edwards said residents should remain vigilant.
“There’s great potential for flooding. Don’t become complacent,” he warned. “This storm will be around for a long time. We’re a long ways from being out of the woods.”
Forecasters said southwest Louisiana could see between 7 to 13 inches of rain over the next seven days, while south-central Louisiana could get between about 6 to 11 inches.
Central Louisiana could get anywhere from 3 to about 8 inches.
Edwards said at least 18 parishes had declared a state of emergency. The state, he said, so far had distributed 247,000 sandbags and nearly 550 meals ready to eat.
The Coast Guard is searching for at least one person who reportedly fell off a boat in Cameron Parish, Edwards said. Cameron Parish had a mandatory evacuation order but it was changed to voluntary on Saturday.