ST. LANDRY PARISH — Port Barre — A line of violent storms swept across south Louisiana Saturday night, spawning multiple tornadoes and leaving behind widespread damage, including significant destruction along Highway 741 in Port Barre.
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down in St. Landry Parish near Port Barre, ripping sheet metal roofing from homes, destroying outbuildings and flipping a pontoon boat and a horse trailer.
Pamela Wyble, who captured video of the storm on her outdoor security camera, said the tornado’s force was overwhelming.
“The tornado hit hard,” Wyble said. “During the storm, the floors were vibrating and the doors were shaking. My children and our pets were praying every prayer they knew. The pressure was unreal — we couldn’t even open the bathroom door to get out.”
Wyble said she had to pull the door with force before the pressure finally released.
She said her family has experienced tornado damage before, but Saturday night’s storm hit their neighbors hard.
“The last tornado that came through busted out our windows, flipped buildings, damaged our fences and knocked down trees,” Wyble said. “But our poor neighbors got it bad this time. We are praying for them, and we went to check on them earlier.”
One of the hardest-hit homes belonged to Theresa Lacombe and her husband, who were inside when the tornado struck.
“It sounded like one — it was like a train,” Lacombe said.
Wyble's outdoor security camera captured the storm’s intensity as powerful winds roared through the area.
“It was horrible,” Lacombe said. “I was watching TV and started hearing a train noise, and then the electricity went out.”
Lacombe said her husband was standing in the part of the house where the bricks came crashing through the roof. He was not injured.
Moments later, the roof of Lacombe’s home was torn off completely.
Now, the home the couple lived in for 23 years is torn apart.
“The house was shaking, and the water started coming through the vents and the light fixtures,” Lacombe said. “I mean — it was horrible.”
Just down the road, neighbors also reported damage. Roofs were torn up, a boat was flipped over, and parts of a canopy were blown into another yard.
Collin Leger, who lives one house away, said the storm escalated quickly.
“I was scared,” Leger said.
Leger said he was playing video games with his uncle, James Leger when a weather alert came through.
“About 30 minutes later, the wind came whipping through right behind me,” he said. “You could hear stuff flying outside, and then the power flashed out.”
Leger and his uncle’s home was spared, but their vehicles were damaged.
“I’m jumping for joy — but not about my truck,” Leger said. “I just bought the thing.”
Lacombe said she and her husband are now waiting for an insurance adjuster to assess the damage.
“We just have to wait on the adjuster and see what we can do,” she said.
According to the National Weather Service, at least five tornadoes touched down across south Louisiana during Saturday night’s storms.
In Calcasieu Parish, an EF-1 tornado touched down west of Highway 14 near Pinewood Drive, causing minor damage to mobile homes and damaging large live oak trees near Walden Drive. Roof damage was reported on Wilson Drive after an awning was ripped from a home.
In Acadia Parish, a brief tornado touched down near Madison Road and Ebenezer Road, snapping trees and destroying an outbuilding at Ruby Lane before lifting east of Ebenezer Road. A separate EF-0 tornado also touched down near Hancock Road and Leger Road, damaging an outbuilding and a canopy.
In St. Landry Parish, the EF-1 tornado began southeast of Port Barre along Highway 741, lifting roofing material from a home, destroying or heavily damaging several outbuildings and damaging trees before lifting south of Highway 190.
In Evangeline Parish, an EF-1 tornado began in wooded areas southeast of the Crooked Creek Reservoir, snapping trees and damaging multiple outbuildings, including a pool house that lost part of its roof.
The National Weather Service said the first round of damage surveys are complete, and no serious injuries were reported.
The National Weather Service plans to continue surveying for the next couple of days.
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