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    Posted October 31, 2009 by
    Location
    Shreveport, Louisiana
    Assignment
    Assignment
    This iReport is part of an assignment:
    Severe weather

    More from RonStroope

    Winds Blow Steeple Off Church Onto Car

     

    CNN PRODUCER NOTE     RonStroope shot this video on October 29. He saw the dark funnel clouds over downtown Shreveport as he approached the church.
    - rachel8, CNN iReport producer

    During a tornado in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, the storm blew the steeple off of the top of First Methodist Church and it landed on a sports car driven by a 57 year old man. He was cut out of the car by the "jaws of life" and had several cuts, brusies and broken bones. A portion of one finger had to be amputated. As he was being taken out of the car he gave the onlookers a thumbs up. He stated that he did not see the steeple but everything just went black. The driver is okay and resting in the hospital.

     

    The following is a report from the National Weather Service Shreveport, LA.

     

    PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
    NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
    830 PM CDT FRI OCT 30 2009

    ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED DAMAGE SURVEYS TODAY IN
    CADDO AND BOSSIER PARISHES IN LOUISIANA...

    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED A DAMAGE SURVEY IN CADDO AND
    BOSSIER PARISHES IN LOUISIANA TODAY. THE SURVEY CONCLUDED THAT AN EF2
    TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT A QUARTER MILE SOUTHWEST OF FIRST UNITED
    METHODIST CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN SHREVEPORT.

    THE TORNADO SNAPPED SEVERAL TREES...AND TOOK THE STEEPLE OFF THE TOP
    OF FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. IT THEN CONTINUED NORTHEAST
    CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE SHREVEPORT CONVENTION CENTER AND
    OTHER DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED THE RED RIVER
    JUST NORTH OF SAM`S TOWN CASINO...KNOCKING DOWN SEVERAL TREES
    ALONG THE RIVER.

    THE TORNADO TRACK CROSSED THE RED RIVER JUST SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 220
    NEAR BENTON ROAD...WHERE SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED ALONG THE LEVEE
    AND A BARN WAS DAMAGED. THE TORNADO CROSSED INTERSTATE 220 JUST WEST
    OF BENTON RD...AND CAUSED MINOR TO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AT SEVERAL CAR
    DEALERSHIPS ALONG BENTON RD.

    IT CROSSED BENTON RD. AND ENTERED THE GREEN ACRES PLACE
    SUBDIVISION...CAUSING MODERATE TO MAJOR DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS HOMES AND
    TOWN HOUSES. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST INTO THE BROWNLEE
    SUBDIVISION WHERE MORE HOMES HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. IT THEN MOVED
    NORTHEAST CAUSING SOME DAMAGE TO THE RESERVE APARTMENT COMPLEX AND
    THE CYPRESS POINTE APARTMENT COMPLEX ON AIRLINE DRIVE.

    THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED AIRLINE DRIVE JUST NORTH OF LE OAKS
    DRIVE...AND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN CROSS CREEK AND BAYOU BEND
    SUBDIVISION. CONTINUING ON A NORTHEAST TRACK...THE TORNADO CAUSED
    MAJOR DAMAGE AT THE BOSSIER EMERGENCY SERVICE CENTER ON SWAN LAKE RD.
    AND SNAPPED AND UPROOTED NUMEROUS TREES IN ROSE NEATH CEMETERY.

    THE TORNADO MOVED NORTH AND CROSSED SWAN LAKE RD. CAUSING SIGNIFICANT
    DAMAGE TO HOMES IN THE LEGACY SUBDIVISION. IT THEN CONTINUED
    NORTHEAST CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO A HOME...AND UPROOTED AND SNAPPED
    TREES ON DEEN POINT RD. THE TRACK CONTINUED FURTHER TO THE NORTHEAST
    CAUSING TREE DAMAGE ON JESSIE JONES RD.AND WEST LAKESHORE DR IN
    BENTON. THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED NORTHEAST CROSSING CYPRESS LAKE
    AND CAUSING MORE DAMAGE TO TREES ON MERRITT RD. BEFORE DISSIPATING.

    OVER 100 HOMES IN BOSSIER PARISH WERE DAMAGED IN THIS TORNADO TRACK.
    THE INITIAL TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN OCCURRED AT 413 PM...AND HAD A
    LENGTH OF 13 MILES...AND A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 600 YARDS. THE TORNADO
    WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ON THE GROUND FOR 17 MINUTES WITH AN ESTIMATED
    WIND SPEED OF 110 TO 115 MPH.

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