Coroner identifies 25-year-old man as tornado victim

Destroyed homes, illuminated by fire engine lights, are seen after a tornado struck the area in Arabi, La., Tuesday, March 22, 2022. A tornado tore through parts of New Orleans and its suburbs Tuesday night, ripping down power lines and scattering debris in a part of the city that had been heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

by: Kylee Bond

Posted: Mar 23, 2022 / 02:34 PM AST

Updated: Mar 24, 2022 / 12:41 PM AST

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UPDATE: The National Weather Service says the Arabi tornado was an EF-3. The tornado was on the ground for 11 miles and moved from Gretna through Arabi and New Orleans East.

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — As officials continue to assess the damage of the March 22 tornado, at least one casualty has been identified following the storm.

On Wednesday, March 23, the St. Bernard Parish Coroner’s Office confirmed 25-year-old Connor Lambert has been killed in Tuesday night’s tornado that tore through Arabi.

The coroner told WGNO Lambert had parked his truck at his house on Benjamin Street in Arabi. He made it to his porch when the house “exploded.”

Lambert was found a block away inside another house that also reportedly exploded.

The preliminary cause of death has been listed as blunt force trauma.

Social media reports indicate Lambert was a graduate of Chalmette High School and went on study mechanical engineering at UL Lafayette.

The Arabi community continues to recover after Tuesday night’s storm. To donate to the United Way tornado victim recovery fund, click here.