Weather - page 2

Orange County Emergency Management Coordinator Joel Ardoin confirms about 100 homes in Orange County were impacted and/or damaged.

He notes that it will take days to get a full picture of the destruction, adding, “From impacted to destroyed homes, there are different levels of that, but there are about a 100 homes, but we’re going to go back out to finish up that assessment tomorrow,” Ardoin said.

Ardoin says there were no deaths and only two injuries. One person had some cuts, and another had a head injury.

According to National Weather Service Lake Charles, the tornado that hit Orange County was one of three that went through Southeast Texas on Tuesday.

Meteorologist Chanelle Stigger noted that all the tornadoes were from a line of thunderstorms that moved through. She added,  “However, it wasn’t, more than likely, the same one that picked up and touched down. More than likely, what we’re looking at is three separate tornadoes. We won’t be able to actually determine that until the storm survey is completed.”

One of the tornadoes started in Liberty County and moved into Jefferson County between Nome and China, according to National Weather Service Hydrologist Jonathan Brazzell.

The second tornado started in Big Hill and moved northeast through Taylor Landing, and headed just north between Taylor and Hillebrandt bayous.

The last tornado started just north of Bessie Heights and then crossed Orangefield into the Weiss Bluff before moving over the Sabine River into Starks and Vinton, Louisiana.

“Right now, our best guess in Southeast Texas is we had three (tornadoes),” Brazzell said. “That’s not to say there couldn’t have been more.”

Brazzell said the three tornadoes were identified using the storm radar and debris patterns. However, storm damage teams may be able to detect more when out in the field looking at the damage.

In addition, Brazzell said the National Weather Service reported generally 1 to 2 inches of rain in Orange County.

According to KBMT’s meteorologist Patrick Vaughn, an Arctic cold front will drive through SE Texas late Thursday. Temperatures will plummet Thursday night, with winds gusting to nearly 40 mph.

In the Golden Triangle on Friday morning, temperatures will be in the middle to upper teens. Wind chills will be in the single digits, and there will be a freeze duration of 20+ hours.

The City of Orange Office of Emergency Management would like to remind citizens that winter storms have the capability to bring cold temperatures, power failures, and icy roads. Please view the following tips to keep yourself, your family, and your pets safe:

•  Insulate exterior pipes that run along outer walls to prevent freezing
• Know how to shut off water valves in the event a pipe bursts
• Provide adequate shelter to keep pets warm and ensure they have access to unfrozen water and food
• Never use a generator, grill, camp stove, or charcoal-burning device inside or in any partially enclosed area
• Never use a gas stove/oven for a heating source – this could cause carbon monoxide poisoning
• Keep space heaters AT LEAST 3 feet from all objects
• Have a flashlight and blankets in place in the event of power failures

According to the National Weather Service – Lake Charles, this region has a slight to enhanced risk of experiencing severe thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning.

Severe weather may include damaging wind gusts, large hail, and tornadoes. There is also a threat of heavy rain and flash flooding. Average rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches can be expected.

Citizens are encouraged to monitor local media sites and official social media outlets for current information.

According to the National Weather Service – Lake Charles, thunderstorms with high rainfall rates of 1 to 3 inches or more in an hour are currently passing through our region and are expected to continue into the afternoon. Rainfall totals have the potential to exceed 5 inches in some areas.

A flood watch is currently in effect for our region due to excessive rainfall rates.

Citizens are encouraged to monitor local media sites and official social media outlets for current information.