NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – The National Weather Service said surveyors found damage in New Orleans consistent with an EF3 tornado.
The weather service has not estimated the wind speeds of the twister yet, but to be classified as an EF3 tornado winds are between 166 and 200 mph.
The tornado ripped through a 2 to 2.5-mile stretch of New Orleans East Tuesday morning, destroying 250 homes and damaging about 2,000 others, Mayor Mitch Landrieu said.
Thirty-one people were injured, with six of them suffering moderate to severe injuries.
Entergy spokeswoman Charlotte Cavell said residents in New Orleans East who were hit hardest by the tornado could have to wait up to five days for power to be restored.
Six schools are closed today because of the tornado.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency, the first step to getting relief to the six parishes that were affected by tornadoes Tuesday.
Click here to see photos of the damage.