Mobile homes destroyed, hundreds without power after Tangipahoa Parish tornado

TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. (WGNO) — Hundreds of people remain without power and several homes are destroyed after a tornado ripped through Tangipahoa Parish on Wednesday (Feb. 8).

In a statement from Entergy on Thursday morning, a spokesperson tells WGNO:

“Crews are anticipating being able to restore power to those who can safely accept service by sometime this evening around 6 p.m. Approximately 300 customers remain without power just south of Kentwood. This is in the area where tornadic activity has been reported.

Crews have identified 9 utility poles down, approximately 20 spans of wire (span being the amount of wire from pole to pole) down, and five transformers that are in need of repair or replacement. We have several additional contract crews joining local crews that are already engaged in restoration efforts this morning. It’s going to take some time to safely complete the work and restore power but we’re on the ground and have called in additional help to accelerate the work where possible.” 

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said a tornado touched down in the Village of Tangipahoa during evening hours on Wednesday. The most damage was reported along Tangipahoa Road where a mobile home was ripped from the ground and flipped upside down with a family inside.

The family was reportedly taken to the hospital. The Sheriff’s Office says there were injuries, but none that seemed to be life-threatening.

Along Tangipahoa Road, other mobile homes were dismantled. In the area were also road closures due to multiple downed power lines. The area wasn’t safe to walk in due to metal scraps, glass, nails, and cement blocks lining the ground.

One family who just moved into a mobile home along Tangipahoa Road says they were home at the time of the storm, but thankfully weren’t hurt. 

“I hadn’t all the way moved in and I just purchased a new trailer and I’ve been moving so maybe stay like one night like I’m not even all the way in and then this happened,” said resident Kemora Cook.

She described the storm as sounding like a train whistling in the night. She was cut up from glass that had flown into her mobile home as she tried to take cover.