JASPER/TYLER COUNTY — The National Weather Service in Lake Charles said on Friday that after their storm survey team toured the damaged areas of Woodville in Tyler County, and Magnolia Springs in Jasper County, it has now been determined that two separate tornadoes touched down and crossed those areas early Wednesday morning.
The report said that both of the cyclones were rated as EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is the measuring standard for tornadoes. An EF-0 is the weakest, and an EF 5 is the strongest.
According to the report, the first twister touched down at 5:58 a.m. 1 mile southeast of Woodville near Highway 69, and moved 7/10ths of a mile to the southeast before lifting 2 minutes later at 6:00 a.m. just east of County Road 4250.
The report said the tornado was approximately 50 yards wide, with an estimated peak wind speed of 90 miles-per-hour. According to the report, the twister and the thunderstorm that produced it caused “a wide area of wind damage through Woodville with numerous trees uprooted and snapped”. The report went on to say that “some roofing material was removed from a building”.
The report said the second tornado touched down at 6:22 a.m. in Magnolia Springs, just west of Farm to Market Road 1005, and moved 2.17 miles to the northeast before lifting 5 minutes later at 6:27 a.m. just north of County Road 317.
According to the report, the twister was approximately 50 yards wide, with an estimated peak wind speed of 100 miles-per-hour. The report said the tornado and the thunderstorm that produced it “Uprooted and snapped several trees. A home along FM 1005 was damaged when a tree fell onto it”.
By STEVE STEWART/KJAS Friday, April 29th 2016
