This past Wednesday, October 27, 2021, will be a new addition to Orange County history as “Day of the Tornado Outbreaks.”
The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has a preliminary report showing the county had two EF 2 tornadoes. The two caused widespread damage and left a woman in an overturned mobile home with critical injuries.
One of the strong tornadoes traveled seven miles and reached an estimated maximum width of 100 yards.
The first tornado of the outbreak to touch down was across Bessie Heights Marsh beginning at 9:21 a.m. and lasted about three minutes.
The report said several pictures and videos were made of the tornado, plus radar observation shows it reached the ground. However, because of its path across the marsh, the meterologists had no way to survey damage and assess strength.
The NWS catagorizes an EF 2 as a “strong” tornado with winds of 111 to 135 mph.
Strong tornadoes are rare in Orange County and the only once to compare would be the one on November 6, 1957, through the middle of the city of Orange. One woman was killed. Storm historians studying recorded debris path information think that one was an EF 3 tornado with winds of 136-165 mph.
Roger Erickson, the warning coordinator meteorologist in Lake Charles signed the report of Tuesday’s outbreak. Other researching meteorologists were Doug Jones and Jonathan Brazzell.
Information they gather is used to help predict future storms. Warnings sent before the tornadoes on Tuesday sounded on cell phones and other devices, allowing schools to move students to safer places and others to seek shelter.
The first strong tornado in Orange County is called the “Interstate 10 Tornado.” It started at 9:33 a.m. and traveled 2.1 miles before ending six minutes later. The peak wind was 130 mph and the maximum width of the path was 50 yards.
It touched down south of Old Highway 90 near Highway 62 exit on Interstate 10. The worse damage was to a brick residence. The house had severe damage, plus a large backyard building was demolished. An RV was tossed yards and a fruck flipped over. Three other vehicles were pushed out of the driveway.
A video by Mary Phan of Orangefield of the tornado showed an ATV flying through the air across the interstate. The NWS report said the ATV had been stored in the backyard building that was destroyed.
The tornado continued up Highway 62 and blew in the overhead doors at the Texas Department of Transportation warehouse.
The second EF 2 tornado is called the “Highway 1130 Tornado,” because it started near the road in the Little Cypress area.
That twister reached peak winds of 130 mph and traveled seven miles. The width of the path reached a maximum 100 yards. It began at 9:45 a.m. and lasted 14 minutes.
The storm overturned a double-wide trailer along 1130 and the report said the trailer had been tied down. A woman was inside and sustained critical injuries.
Other residences along 1130 had trees fall on them and roofs ripped off. There was also damage from wind-blown debris.
The tornado went northward on South Teal Road and blew down trees. It traveled to Hudnall road, where several houses and garages had roofs torn off.
Then the tornado “turned a little to the northeast, and hit the Woodland Ridge Acres subdivision off Highway 87. From there, it crossed into Newton County and damaged several houses and garages in Hartburg. It ended in Newton County east of Hartburg.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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