UPDATE - 10 a.m. Sunday: Beryl has strengthen to Category 3 strength, becoming a major hurricane. This is a developing story. Future information on the storms can be found in the latest Storm Station Weather Blog HERE.

UPDATE - 3:45 p.m. Saturday: Beryl becomes first hurricane of 2024 season. It is forecasted to intensify rapidly and become a hurricane before reaching the Windward Islands by Sunday night or Monday morning. While still not posing an immediate threat to southern Louisiana, it will be something the Storm Station continues to monitor over the coming days. 

ORIGINAL STORY: Tropical Depression Two has formed in the Tropical Atlantic. The storm has peak winds at 35 mph and is located roughly 1200 miles from Barbados. Two is moving west at a fast rate of 21 mph.

The system will likely strengthen to a tropical storm by Saturday, taking the name Beryl once that happens. A landfall as a hurricane in the Lesser Antilles is possible early next week. After that, confidence is high that the system will generally move in a westward direction into the Caribbean Sea. Uncertainty grows as to where the storm will go thereafter.

There is still a lot of time to monitor the progression of the system. At this time, there is no cause for worry locally at this stage. Nevertheless, the Storm Station is watching the system closely and will post further updates if anything changes.

Tropical storm formation in this part of the Atlantic is highly unusual for late June and early July. Storms origins like this are more typical of August and September.

The Storm Station is here for you, tracking the tropics on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go. You can also find tropical updates on our Hurricane Center HERE.

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LAKE CHARLES - A landspout tornado hit the National Weather Service building in Lake Charles Thursday night.

According to the National Weather Service, the quickly-forming land spout hit from 6:26 p.m. and 6:27 p.m. The NWS said it picked up outside equipment and slung it across the parking lot and across the road to the airport.

There was minor damage to employees' vehicles, but no other damage or injuries.

Landspouts are a type of tornado which are not attached to a rotating thunderstorm, otherwise known as a supercell. They cannot be detected on radar for this reason, and typically go unwarned unless spotted.

These form when a thunderstorm moves over a boundary of sort, such as an outflow boundary or sea breeze. Pockets of spin found along these boundaries then get stretched upward by the storm, forming the landspout tornado.

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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WALKER - As thunderstorms grew tall across the capital area Wednesday afternoon, Sawyer Delatte captured a neat-looking feature to the northeast of Walker.

Courtesy: Sawyer Delatte

Above the towering thunderstorm cloud, otherwise known as a cumulonimbus cloud, there are several umbrella-like layers on top of each other. These are known as pileus clouds, or a cap cloud.

Thunderstorms are kept alive by rising currents of warm, moist air - an updraft. As updrafts surge upward, they push on the air above it. Pileus clouds form when that "push" is quick enough where the overlying air rapidly cools and forms a cloud.

While not uncommon, they tend to be short-lived which can make them difficult to spot.

See weather happening in your neighborhood? The Storm Station would love to see your photos and video. Email them to weather@wbrz.com or submit via the Storm Station Weather App. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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After the National Weather Service conducted detailed satellite analysis, they were able to confirm two additional tornadoes from the June 4th severe weather event. These were embedded circulations in an extensive line of storms. 

The first one started 4 miles WNW of Liberty, MS along Enterprise Road. This tornado then moved eastward towards Toler Lane, where it peaked in intensity. Here, a swath of at least 20 pine trees were snapped clean near the base. This tornado then weakened as it moved east
over highway 567 where only limbs were knocked down. The tornado came to the end of its lifecycle near McLain and Meadville Road where it uprooted more pines and broke off large limbs.

The 2nd tornado started just east of Liberty along Highway 24. Here, large limbs were broken off an oak tree. The tornado moved to the east-southeast towards Patterson Road where small limbs were broken and uprooted trees were noted. This tornado strengthened to peak intensity as it moved into a patch of trees just west and on Peoria Road. Here, large swaths of trees
were either snapped or uprooted. A tree fell on a home here, but no one was injured. This tornado then paralleled Turner Road to the south where it continued to snap and
uproot pines. It came to an end soon after snapping a tree along Lower Glading Road.

Information about the other tornadoes this day can be found here.

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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The courage of around 160,000 Allied troops was displayed during the D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944, as they overtook the heavily-fortified French coastline occupied by Nazi Germany.

Lots of planning went into the immense and world-altering task, and the weather was one important consideration. Without taking weather into account, history might have taken a different course.

June 5th was the original target date for the massive invasion, set by Allied Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. However, specific criteria needed to be met for ideal landing conditions. It had to occur within a few days of a Full Moon. This was to ensure that there was enough moonlight for pilots and paratroopers along with low enough of a tide at dawn for the first set of forces on the ground.

Light winds, calm seas, and clear skies were also necessary criteria surrounding the invasion date. This is where a team of Allied meteorologists came into the picture.

Based on measurements of temperature, pressure, and humidity, forecasters were able to map out the position of various weather fronts nearby. It soon became clear to the British meteorologists that low clouds and stormy weather were likely on June 5th. Eisenhower was convinced at the eleventh hour to postpone the operation by the Chief Meteorological Officer, Captain James Martin Stagg.

The Allied meteorologists were also trying to determine whether there would be a window of opportunity on June 6th. Meteorology was in its infancy at the time. The technology that is commonplace today, like satellites, did not exist back then.

After analyzing the subtle clues available, the team of meteorologists concluded there would be a period of time that would make the invasion possible. Operation Overlord on June 6th was a go.

The invasion didn’t come without its challenges. The first set of paratroopers and ground forces still had to face cloud cover, high wind, and choppy seas. But soon skies cleared, just as the meteorologists predicted. The Germans were also caught off guard. They were tracking the weather also, but came to a different conclusion. Not only would it be stormy on June 6th, but the Germans predicted adverse conditions would last for at least another week. They were confident in this forecast, so much so that some soldiers were allowed to leave their posts.

It's impossible to know what the world might look like if D-Day actually happened one day earlier, but the weather definitely played an important role. Many years later when former president John F. Kennedy asked Eisenhower why the invasion was successful, he responded “because we had better meteorologists than the Germans!”

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that two tornadoes hit portions of Louisiana and Mississippi from Tuesday's storms, along with a separate area of extensive straight-line wind damage

An EF-1 tornado was confirmed in Tangipahoa Parish to the east of Kentwood. The tornado had peak winds around 100 mph and was on the ground for about 5 miles. The tornado tracked mostly over open fields until Highway 1054 where it uprooted and snapped numerous trees. It then continued to W Lewiston Road where the most tree damage was observed. At that location, almost every tree in a 300 yard swath was either snapped or uprooted. Similar scenes were observed near Gregot Road also. 

Another EF-1 tornado was confirmed in Amite and Pike Counties in Mississippi. Peak winds were estimated around 95 mph with a path length of 16.2 miles. This tornado tracked just north of the LA/MS state line in Gillsburg where several hardwoods along Travis Road and Highway 568 were uprooted. The tornado continued east, uprooting many trees along Highway 571 and 584. The twister continued to topple trees just north of the Osyka exit along I-55. The tornado finally lifted near Centerville Rd and Charlie Rhodus Road.

Closer to Amite City, the damage patterns were too sporadic to classify as tornadic. Most of the damage pointed to the east, consistent with straight-line wind damage. 85-95 mph straight-line winds are estimated to have occurred along a 32-mile zone from St. Helena Parish into Tangipahoa Parish. Amite City and Hillsdale were right in the middle of the swath. Even though the damage wasn't consistent with a tornado, significant damage still occurred in that area. This is a testament to the power of straight-line winds.

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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On the heels of last week's severe weather, the National Weather Service (NWS) completed another round of damage surveys. The NWS has determined that three additional tornadoes touched down from storms on the night of Monday, May 13th, 2024. Two of those tornadoes tracked through portions of Iberville Parish, while third did damage in Livingston Parish. That brings the total count from May 13th to four, which includes previously confirmed tornado near Livonia.

Tornado #1 - Iberville Parish:

An EF-0 tornado tracked south if I-10 primarily over rural parts of the Atchafalaya Basin. Peak winds were estimated at 85 mph. The tornado was on the ground from 6:39 p.m. to 6:47 p.m., tracking 7.54 miles. Satellite analysis showed a "scalloped swath of tree damage associated with a strong circulation." Ground surveys also noted uprooted trees and large branches as the tornado crossed Atchafalaya Basin Levee Road. This was the only accessible road to survey damage.

Tornado #2 - Iberville Parish:

Another EF-0 tornado impacted portions of Crescent, LA, with peak estimated winds at 85 mph. The tornado was on the ground from 6:54 p.m. to 6:56 p.m. with a path length of 1.35 miles. The tornado first touched down near Guilotta Lane where it primarily damaged trees along Bayou Road. A few homes sustained damage to their roofs as it continued to track north of Crescent Elementary School. The tornado continued east where numerous trees were uprooted just to the north of Bayou Jacob Road near Dozier Road before lifting shortly after.

Tornado #3 - Livingston Parish:

Damage surveys indicate that an EF-1 tornado occurred near Port Vincent, with estimated peak winds at 95-100 mph. This tornado tracked for 3.12 miles and was on the ground from 7:23 p.m. to 7:27 p.m.. Ground survey crews in tandem with high resolution satellite analysis noted extensive tree damage from Highway 1032 up to Hammack Road near Walker South Road. The tornado then broadened out into a swath of damaging straight-line winds as the former tornado continued northeast.

All of the damage occurred within a large line of thunderstorms which tore across the region between 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Monday, May 13th. Scattered wind damage and power outages occurred all across the Metro Area as a result.

Another round of severe weather passed through later in the week on Thursday, May 16th. Those storms also brought extensive straight-line wind damage, and dropped a tornado in St. James Parish.

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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BATON ROUGE, LA -- Experts warn that this season brings added importance to maintaining, trimming or even removing trees around your property. The reasons can be traced back to last summer. 

A significant, near record breaking drought left the Capital Area with less than half the average summer rainfall at just 7.27 inches. Scott Courtright of Louisiana Tree Service said that a lot of trees are dying off as a result. 

"So, the three trees that we're seeing a lot of stress with right now, a lot of mortality, the highest mortality, would be oaks, magnolias, and pines," said Courtright. 

There are obvious signs of a dead tree. If there aren’t any leaves, it should be considered for removal. However, just seeing the tips of the trees without leaves is a sign of duress and it is unlikely the tree will recover. Other warning signs that mark a tree as a candidate to be taken down include: increasing numbers of branches falling through the years, termite trails and hypoxylon canker--a fungus that causes the bark to slough off.  

Routine maintenance is extremely important to nursing the trees that survived back to full health. Hallie Dozier of the Louisiana State University Ag Center said that those two keys are watering and mulching. She said mulch could be an easy resource to come by given the number of trees being taken down right now that removal companies would otherwise have to pay to put in a landfill. 

"Even fresh, coarse chips on your soil under the tree is just, it's a thousand-fold better than just having turf, or nothing," said Dozier. "If you don't have soaker hoses, and you don't want to take that route, you can just put your hose on a very low volume, and just let it drip. Ideally you want to get down to about we're about six inches are moist," she added. 

View the full interview with Dozier, RIGHT HERE

Dozier said that a strong, healthy tree should not scare you, even if it is near your home. She advised that unnecessary tree removal is a bad thing for people and the environment. Plus, you will avoid a tremendous expense. Removal is a major, pricey operation, but Courtright reminds that it could be a life-saving step.

"If you're a property owner, and you own that property, you own that tree and you own the benefits for that. In other words, you can sit under and have a picnic and shade and enjoy the squirrels and things that enjoy that tree. Likewise, if it's dead, you also own that liability. That's the problem, that people don't really understand is that if I have this risk factor, it's my job as the property owner to get rid of that risk, and turning your head and saying, whatever, you could be liable for that if the tree fell and hurt or killed somebody or hit a car or house, you're going to be liable for that," said Courtright. 

View the full interview with Courtright, RIGHT HERE

Both Courtright and Dozier remind how important it is to use a certified, licensed arborist and tree service. Dozier also told WBRZ that doing so might help you avoid a common pruning practice that many tree owners are often fooled into purchasing.  

Lion's tailing is a procedure which cleans out the canopy of a tree for the purposes of styling and shaping the tree and allowing more light to pass through. This type of trimming is harmful to trees because interior foliage is how a tree feeds itself. Photosynthesis stops at very warm temperatures, often met on summer afternoons in the southern United States. Exterior leaves stop working, but protected interior leaves can continue to take care of the tree. 

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its 2024 Hurricane Outlook that emphasizes the likelihood of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA predicts 17-25 named storms, 8-13 hurricanes and 4-7 major hurricanes. Similar to other outlooks that have been released this year, the more aggressive forecast is in response to near-record ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and the development of a La Niña. To view the full press conference from NOAA, click HERE.

El Niño and La Niña are the warm and cool phases of a recurring climate pattern across the tropical Pacific—the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or “ENSO” for short. Keep in mind that El Niño and La Niña do not “cause” any one specific weather event; rather the two phases of ENSO influence change in global climate patterns that then increase the likelihood of specific weather events. Once again, ENSO is not “to blame” for any one storm system, temperature anomaly or hurricane.

La Niña typically increases the amount of storm activity in the Atlantic basin because it decreases the amount of vertical wind shear. Vertical wind shear references strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere that typically work to prevent circulations like tropical systems from becoming fully formed.

The Storm Station likes to remind that “it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for you,” so prepare accordingly. There have been seasons with a lot of storms but few impacts to land and seasons with few storms but a lot of impacts to land. For more on the season ahead and preparedness, visit wbrz.com/weather and click on the hurricane center.

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When stormy weather threatens, radar acts as our eyes. With hurricane season upon us, the National Weather Service in Slidell made a move that greatly benefits the Capital Area. They moved their radar down I-10 to Hammond. This will give us a clearer view of any weather threats.

After months of construction, the radar from Slidell was resurrected at the Hammond airport. Most of the original parts were used, with only the dome of the radar needing replacement. Kevin Gilmore, a National Weather Service meteorologist, explains that one big reason this move helps us, is that now the radar will be scanning lower over the area.

When the radar was in Slidell, it scanned 5000-7000 feet above the surface, potentially missing key features in storms. Now, the radar will scan 1000-2000 feet above the surface. This has huge benefits for the area. One of those benefits is better predicting tornadoes.

This is not just a severe weather season problem, but also a hurricane season problem. Landfalling tropical cyclones often can produce tornadoes in the outer rain bands. The rotation is usually much shallower than we see in severe weather season. Scanning too high in the storm can sometimes potentially miss the rotation, and a tornado could touch down unwarned. With the radar now moved, we no longer face that problem in the Capital Area.

For more resources from the Storm Station, click here. 

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While the National Hurricane Center might be the most recognizable name during hurricane season, local weather services often play a huge role in getting accurate tropical forecasts, watches and warnings issued when the tropics begin heating up.

Lauren Nash with the National Weather Service in New Orleans tells us about the important roles the office serves during Hurricane Season and how to make sure you are receiving the most accurate information regarding hurricane forecasts.  

To prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, download the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more tropical weather updates over next several months. 

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A National Weather Service (NWS) Survey team determined an EF-1 tornado, estimated to have peak winds of around 105 mph caused damage across portions of St. James Parish. This tornado touched down along Highway 44 between White Hall and Romeville, doing damage before lifting just east of Highway 3125. In all, the tornado was on the ground for five miles with a maximum path width of 120 yards.

The tornado snapped several trees, damaged the roofs of a few homes, and even snapped power poles as it reached its maximum intensity.

Two TORNADO WARNINGS were issued between 10:50 and 10:55 p.m. Thursday. The Storm Station was live on the air tracking a tornado debris signature on radar over Romeville.

The St. James Parish tornado and many wind gusts across the Capital Area on Thursday night were part of an unusual weather event known as a derecho. Uncommon this far south in the United States, amazingly, this appears to be the second in less than a week. pic.twitter.com/POAqzYQCWj

— Josh Eachus (@DrJoshWX) May 17, 2024

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH - The catastrophic flood of 2016 showed local drainage problems in the capital area. In response, the City-Parish has made a big investment in clearing out the parish waterways. Significant progress has been made up to today.

According to Fred Raiford, Transportation and Drainage Director for East Baton Rouge Parish, the Amite River cleanup project is about 65% complete.

Wards Creek, Dawson Creek, Bayou Fountain, Claycut Bayou, and Elbow Bayou have also been addressed. Jones Creek has been cleared and snagged from the Amite River up to O’Neil Road, with future plans to go north.

Water knows no boundaries, and there are problems on the other side of the river also. East Baton Rouge has been working with Livingston Parish to clean up both sides of the Amite.

Most of the debris clogging the waterways is tree material, but litter is part of the problem too.

“And certainly, we have a lot of trash, which you know, the trash didn't fall from the sky… And it's very frustrating, particularly in many areas of the parish where some of that material can block the drainage itself,” says Raiford.

The Comite River cleanup project was completed in October 2023. The river, a major catch basin for northern sections of the parish, was cleared from the Amite River to Highway 64.

There’s also the Comite River Diversion Project, aiming to redirect flow from the Comite into the Mississippi River instead of Lake Pontchartrain. That project is under the direction of the Army Corps of Engineers and DOTD. Raiford says that they hope to finish the project within the next three years according to what he’s told.

While there is more work to do, there have already been noticeable improvements. Raiford says he’s “…had a lot of areas that normally experience street flooding [say that] the water is not in the street [after] a significant rain event.” Despite the progress, more funding is needed to continue the work. As long as that funding is secured, Raiford says the parish won’t stop.

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LAKE CHARLES - The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed tornado damage in southwest Louisiana from Monday afternoon. The tornado, confirmed to be an EF-1, touched down in Westlake and traveled six and a half miles, crossing I-10 into downtown Lake Charles. Several homes and businesses were damaged in its path.

Another tornado was confirmed in Sulphur where several businesses and homes were damaged. The NWS issued a correction their initial damage assessment, now noting that the Sulphur tornado was an EF-2 with estimated peak winds at 120 mph.

The NWS also confirmed EF-2 damage in Henderson. Watch KATC's coverage of the damage in Henderson here.

While no tornadoes have yet been confirmed for the capital area, there was severe weather in and around Baton Rouge throughout Monday night. NWS survey crews from the New Orleans office will be assessing damage in Livonia and Erwinville on Tuesday afternoon. Crews from the NWS Lake Charles office will also be conducting surveys in Sulphur, Cecilia, and Henderson.

Three deaths have been confirmed to be caused by the storm system: a woman in St. Martinville, and woman nine months pregnant as well as her unborn child in Port Allen. 

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UPDATE (9:18PM) -- The aurora is visible in south Louisiana. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has observed an extreme geomagnetic storm, the strongest to affect earth since October 2003. At this strength, faint colors of pink, purple and green may be seen in skies away from the light pollution of urban centers along the Gulf Coast. The best viewing times will continue through 5am Saturday. 

The aurora observed near Walker, LA by Storm Station Meteorologist Balin Rogers

A severe geomagnetic storm is expected to affect earth Friday night. According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, (SWPC), this is a result of at least seven coronal mass ejections. The sun spot causing this is 17-times the size of the earth. Geomagnetic storms are common around a solar maximum. Only three such storms have occurred since this sun cycle began in 2019.

Severe geomagnetic storms can cause disruptions to satellite communications and navigation systems, terrestrial based radio and even the power grid. However, most know the visual result of such a storm known as the aurora.

While activity could get underway as early as sunset on Friday evening, SWPC forecasts call for the strongest part of the storm to arrive between 1 - 5am. In south Louisiana, it is unlikely that anything will be visible to the naked eye. In the northern part of the state and away from city light pollution, with a long exposure camera, there is an outside chance of seeing a faint green glow on the horizon.

Along the Canadian border the so-called Northern Lights will be visible to the naked eye. There is even a chance of catching a glimpse as far south as Washington D.C. westward to San Francisco. Regardless, nobody should expect to see dancing ribbons of green and purple as publicized in online photos and videos.

For additional solar activity and forecasts, visit the SWPC site. When you see weather (or space) happening, share it with us! Email photos to weather@wbrz.com or submit them via the Storm Station Weather App.

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On Wednesday at approximately 2pm, Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport reached an air temperature of 90 degrees for the first time in 2024. This comes in the midst of a stretch of well above average temperatures for the Capital Area. Highs in the upper 80s and low 90s remain possible through much of the Storm Station 7-Day Forecast. CLICK HERE for the latest.

As Baton Rouge anticipates many more 90° high temperatures, here are 9 stats about the 90s:

1. Annual averages show the Red Stick recording its first 90° temperature by May 13.
2. The earliest 90° day on record is March 2, 1909. *This is an amazing mark, which distances itself by more than a month from the next earliest 90° reading on April 10, 1908.
3. The latest into the year it has taken Baton Rouge to reach 90° is June 10, 1950 & June 10, 1976.
4. The latest into the year, the Capital City has recorded the last 90° high is October 27, 1907.
5. On average, the last 90° high occurs on October 4.
6. The earliest that the area has ever experienced the final 90° high for the year was September 6, 1979.  
7. The maximum number of days that the Capital City has reached 90° or above was 140 in 2023.
8. The fewest number of days that the Capital City reached 90° or above was only 30 days in 1961.
9. On average, Baton Rouge spends (can’t make this up) 90 days per year in the 90s.

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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Ongoing storm surveys have found that a strong, long tracking tornado tore across portions of Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana Parishes during severe weather on April 10. This single tornado was previously believed to be two separate tornadoes. Additionally, a second tornado was identified just northwest of the new, long tracking tornado. 

Officials from the National Weather Service (NWS) used recent satellite data to find signs of additional tornadoes. Not only were several previously undetected tornadoes identified in St. Tammany Parish and Hancock County, but one of the West Feliciana Parish tornadoes was discovered to be on the ground continuously for 33 miles with a maximum width peaking near 1 mile near Spillman, LA. This tornado ranks as the second longest continuously on the ground in the Storm Station's 13 Parish, 2 County forecast area (since 1950). 

This EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 110mph formed south of Morganza, LA within a powerful line of thunderstorms and quickly moved northeast over mainly rural lands before causing more substantial tree damage as it crossed Morganza Highway. The tree damage became increasingly more widespread and intense as the tornado crossed Levee Road and the Mississippi River. High resolution satellite imagery identified a focused swath of tree damage roughly 400 yards in width that continued northeast through the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge up through US Highway 61. Tree damage was observed on Highway 61 with another large swath of tree damage further northeast on Bains Road. Due to the heavily wooded and rural areas, ground surveys were impeded in identifying parts of this track as it continued northeast. The tornado quickly grew in size thereafter and the most significant damage began after the tornado crossed Polk Brannon Road. Ground survey was able to access areas along Spillman and Jones Vaughn Creek Road where numerous trees were snapped, large hardwood trees were uprooted, and several wooden electrical transmission poles were snapped. The peak width of the damage path was measured in this vicinity with widespread damage evident along a mile wide swath. Ground surveys were impeded in Spillman due to widespread tree damage from this tornado, but the damage path and track remained wide and significant as it tracked northeast along Highway 421. High resolution satellite analysis was used to provide the end point for this tornado in which the tornado finally lifted after crossing into rural parts of Wilkinson County in Mississippi.

Further adjustments to peak intensity are possible and another damage survey team from the National Weather Service is planning to revisit the area on Monday. This will assist in finalizing the peak intensity and an increase to an EF-2 rating tornado in West Feliciana Parish is likely.

The second EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 100mph was confirmed via radar imagery and ground survey. The starting point of this tornado was along the bend of Bayou Sara. The tornado then quickly tracked northeast into Bains where it crossed US Highway 61 causing primarily tree damage near an elementary school. Additional damage was not accessible due to Marydale Road being closed, but high resolution satellite imagery did identify a localized swath of tree damage near Alexander Creek tracking just west of the larger tornado that occurred in this area.

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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A week after the widespread severe weather moved through southeast Louisiana, officials from the National Weather Service have been looking at recent satellite data to find signs of any additional tornadoes. So far, they have identified several more tornadoes, mainly around the Slidell area. These newly discovered tornadoes have been given preliminary EF-0 and EF-1 ratings.

Further back to the west, further investigations are ongoing in West Feliciana parish. There have been two confirmed tornadoes in that area, but there is a possibility more will be found. Similar to Slidell, satellite data is being utilized to find potential damage paths. This technique is mainly used to find evidence of tornadoes in more rural areas. 

If you know of damage from this event, submit pictures to help the ongoing surveys. Email weather@wbrz.com with those photos and a specific location.

The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.

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POINTE COUPEE PARISH - A National Weather Service (NWS) Survey team determined a EF1 tornado, estimated with peak winds of around 100mph caused damage across southern portions of Morganza. This tornado began across rural areas south of Morganza Highway 1, moving northeast causing damage to homes and trees at the intersection of Deaton Lane and Morganza Highway 1. In all, the tornado was on the ground for 3.26 miles with a maximum path width of 400 yards. 

Tree damage was mostly branches and snapped tree trunks. Damage to homes included mainly caused my falling trees, one on a car port and another tree fallen on a car. The tornado continued northeast across Labarre crossing Levee Road and pointe Coupee Road, with noticeable hardwood tree damage as the tornado crossed the Mississippi River into the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge.

NWS Survey Team also determined that an EF-1 tornado, estimated peak with winds around 110 mph began crossing Highway 61 north of St. Francisville and in the area of Bains. The tornado caused mainly tree damage included snapped branches and trunks, with some powerline damage along Bains Road, north to Sage Hill Road. Many rural roads had trees covering them as the tornado continued northeast into rural areas east of highway 61, with scattered areas of powerline damage.

The tornado was embedded within a much larger line of thunderstorms which produced a more widespread swath of straight-line winds. That, in addition to the tornado, caused extensive damage in the region.

Aerial footage of widespread tree damage near St. Francisville... a severe thunderstorm pushed through around 8:15am on Wednesday morning. @NWSNewOrleans is surveying this area. #LaWX pic.twitter.com/5EWR2NsGH9

— Balin Rogers (@rogers_balin) April 10, 2024

A TORNADO WARNING was issued for northern Pointe Coupee, West Feliciana, and West Baton Rouge parishes was issued at 8:06 a.m. Wednesday. The storm was moving incredibly fast, to the east at 75 mph when the warning was issued.

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Typically one has to wait until dark to see features of interest in the night sky, but soon the sun will steal the show in the middle of the day. Monday, April 8, 2024, the last total solar eclipse for decades will pass through the Lower 48.

Watch live newscasts here.

"A solar eclipse happens when the moon's orbit lines up between the sun and Earth to cause its shadow to fall on the Earth," Amy Northrop at the Highland Road Park Observatory said.

Although the moon is about 400 times smaller than the sun, it is about 400 times closer to the Earth. The moon and sun have the same apparent size in the sky as a result. This is how the moon appears to cover the sun during an eclipse, despite being smaller.

The path of totality passes through locations like Dallas, Texarkana, and Indianapolis this time. It's a narrow path, spanning a little over 100 miles. The moon's shadow will fly along this path at around 1,500 mph.

Baton Rouge will not be within said path on April 8, but we will still be close enough to experience a partial solar eclipse. That's exactly what it sounds like: where the moon only partially covers the sun. Eighty-six percent of the sun will be eclipsed at 1:49 p.m. Monday afternoon in the capital city. The partial eclipse begins at 12:28 p.m. and ends at 3:08 p.m.. 

As this happens, skies become darker.

"It will get darker than it did in both the October annular eclipse that was partial for us and the August eclipse of 2017...because we have better coverage this time," Northrop said.

And those lucky enough to see cloud breaks might notice crescent-shaped shadows, especially around trees.

A total solar eclipse is a much different experience, where the moon covers the sun entirely. That point is referred to as totality. The sun's corona becomes visible during this time, as evidenced by streams of white light surrounding the sun.

As totality comes to an end, beads of light shining through the rugged lunar surface appear - known as Bailey's beads.

That will soon turn into a bright flash of light known as the diamond ring. These are signs that totality is ending.

"Eclipses happen with great regularity. Unfortunately for solar eclipses, you have to be in the lucky path of the shadow in order to make it work," Northrop said.

On average, a total solar eclipse is visible somewhere on the Earth every 18 months. But for one spot, that changes to 375 years.

The next total solar eclipse to occur in the capital area doesn't come until May 11, 2078, but if you're willing to travel, you'll have another opportunity to see a total solar eclipse in the United States in the 2040s.

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