2019 Ruston tornado

2019 Ruston tornado
Damage to a gas station in Ruston
Meteorological history
FormedApril 25, 2019, 2:47 a.m. CST (UTC−06:00)
DissipatedApril 25, 2019, 3:00 a.m. CST (UTC−06:00)
Duration13 minutes
EF3 tornado
on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Highest winds145 mph (233 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities2
Injuries2
Part of the Tornadoes of 2019

In the early morning hours of April 25, 2019, a large and destructive tornado moved through the western side of Ruston, a city located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The tornado, which was on the ground for 11 miles (18 km), killed two people and heavily damaged portions of the Louisiana Tech University campus.

Advanced forecasting

The Day 3 convective outlook, outlined by the Storm Prediction Center on April 23, saw a "slight", level 2-of-5 risk for severe weather across eastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi with an additional "marginal", level 1-of-5 risk stretching from East Texas to South Alabama. Meteorologist Chris Broyles noted that "thunderstorms associated with a marginal wind damage and hail threat will be possible across parts of the lower Mississippi Valley and central Gulf Coast States on Thursday".[1]

The Day 2 convective outlook on April 24 maintained a slight risk area across the same areas as the day before. A 5% risk for tornadoes was noted, with a 15% total chance of significant severe weather occurring, including in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.[2] The Day 1 convective outlook retained the marginal risk area over East Texas, Louisiana, South Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta, but had gotten rid of the slight risk region that had been outlined.[3] A 2020 case study noted that the outlook did not properly anticipate the Ruston tornado's formation.[4]

Tornado summary

The tornado first touched down on Lafourche Avenue at 2:47 a.m. CDT, immediately uprooting softwood trees at EF1 intensity. More tree damage occurred as the tornado moved northeast, moving across Cypress Springs Avenue and Magnolia Drive. It reached EF2 intensity for the first time on Robinette Drive, where tree trunks were snapped. The tornado continued producing EF2-rated damage along Wade Drive and University Boulevard on the southwestern side of Ruston. Apartment buildings on the campus of Louisiana Tech University suffered roof damage as the tornado moved over a large portion of the college campus. Sports equipment was also damaged,[5] and the J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park was destroyed.[6][7][8] After bending light poles at EF2 intensity along Louisiana Highway 150, the tornado moved over an apartment complex, where EF2-rated damage was inflicted to roofs. More tornadic damage occurred east of Ruston High School.[9][10]

More trees were uprooted to the northeast, before the tornado reached EF3 intensity. It cut a swath of EF3-rated tree and structure damage from Garr Avenue to U.S. Route 167. In this corridor, buildings suffered significant damage and the second-story walls of a motel collapsed. To the northeast the tornado passed over a shopping center, damaging storefronts and destroying roofs.[11][12] after damaging a strip mall on Celebrity Drive the tornado weakened, overturning vehicles in a parking lot and later uprooting trees to the northeast. on East Kentucky Avenue the tornado collapsed a pole, and further northeast several trees were uprooted at EF1 intensity. Along Stable Road it again weakened, inflicting minor damage to tree branches. After passing over Louisiana Highway 820 the tornado briefly intensified, inflicting EF1-rated damage to a row of chicken houses. At 3:00 a.m, the tornado lifted on Honor Lane northwest of Sibley. It was on the ground for 11.32 miles (18.22 km), reaching a maximum width of 1,000 yards (910 m).[10]

Aftermath

Over 100 homes and businesses were damaged by the tornado,[13] and 75% of Ruston was left without power.[14][15]

Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker stated "You know, when it hits your hometown, when you see businesses, when you see student housing and everything damaged like it was, it was just, you know, a real shock".[16] Lincoln Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Kip Franklin remarked on residents of Lincoln Parish that "They come back. The people of Ruston came together. They stepped up and volunteered".[17]

Two people, a mother and son, were killed by the tornado,[18][19][16] when a tree fell on the home they were occupying.[20]

Other tornadoes

List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, April 25, 2019[note 1]
EF# Location County / Parish State Start Coord. Time (UTC ) Path length Max width Summary
EF1 NNE of Lucky Bienville LA 32°15′38″N 93°00′23″W / 32.2606°N 93.0064°W / 32.2606; -93.0064 (Lucky (Apr 25, EF1)) 06:12–06:15 2.52 mi (4.06 km) 150 yd (140 m) Tree branches were broken off and about 20 trees were either snapped or uprooted. Power poles were snapped as well.[21]
EF1 E of Bienville Bienville LA 32°21′18″N 92°55′31″W / 32.3550°N 92.9253°W / 32.3550; -92.9253 (Bienville (Apr 25, EF1)) 06:25–06:26 1.03 mi (1.66 km) 200 yd (180 m) This brief tornado snapped multiple power poles and downed 20 to 30 trees.[22]
EF1 N of Downsville to E of Marion Union LA 32°41′29″N 92°23′50″W / 32.6914°N 92.3973°W / 32.6914; -92.3973 (Downsville (Apr 25, EF1)) 07:10–07:33 21.37 mi (34.39 km) 850 yd (780 m) A long-tracked tornado snapped or uprooted numerous trees, some of which caused severe structural damage to one home upon falling.[23]
EF2 WNW of Beekman, LA to SSW of Hamburg, AR Morehouse (LA), Ashley (AR) LA, AR 32°58′18″N 92°00′48″W / 32.9716°N 92.0133°W / 32.9716; -92.0133 (Beekman (Apr 25, EF2)) 07:44–08:01 15.99 mi (25.73 km) 2,000 yd (1,800 m) A very large wedge tornado mowed down hundreds of trees along its path.[24][25]
EF2 NW of Jena La Salle LA 31°40′18″N 92°15′38″W / 31.6716°N 92.2606°W / 31.6716; -92.2606 (Jena (Apr 25, EF2)) 07:59–08:14 8.77 mi (14.11 km) 700 yd (640 m) Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which fell on a number of mobile homes as well as a church. A house had half of its roof ripped off and its carport completely demolished.[26]
EF1 NW of Sugartown Beauregard Vernon LA 30°51′45″N 93°06′13″W / 30.8626°N 93.1036°W / 30.8626; -93.1036 (Sugartown (Apr 25, EF1)) 09:56–10:01 3.17 mi (5.10 km) 500 yd (460 m) Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. One home had some of its roofing ripped off.[27]
EF1 S of Kiln Hancock MS 30°23′37″N 89°26′43″W / 30.3935°N 89.4453°W / 30.3935; -89.4453 (Kiln (Apr 25, EF1)) 16:22–16:23 0.25 mi (0.40 km) 25 yd (23 m) Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.[28]
EF0 S of Little Texas Tunica MS 34°33′57″N 90°16′07″W / 34.5659°N 90.2685°W / 34.5659; -90.2685 (Little Texas (Apr 25, EF0)) 22:25–22:26 0.19 mi (0.31 km) 50 yd (46 m) A brief landspout tornado caused no damage.[29]
EF1 S of North Vernon Jennings IN 38°55′17″N 85°36′32″W / 38.9213°N 85.609°W / 38.9213; -85.609 (North Vernon (Apr 25, EF1)) 23:19–23:21 0.33 mi (0.53 km) 30 yd (27 m) A garage was destroyed, and several of its concrete anchors were ripped out of the garage foundation. A trailer was flipped and rolled 5 yd (4.6 m), and two cars were pushed short distances, one of which had a window blown out. A glass patio table was tossed and damaged, and a home sustained substantial loss of roofing. The underside of the roof of its north facing front porch was blown out with insulation debris caked on the north and east sides of the house. A wicker chair from the front porch was tossed, and two logs were impaled through the windshield of a nearby SUV.[30]
EF0 ENE of Standing Pine Leake MS 32°41′11″N 89°20′24″W / 32.6864°N 89.34°W / 32.6864; -89.34 (Standing Pine (Apr 25, EF0)) 23:36–23:39 1.35 mi (2.17 km) 25 yd (23 m) A senior care facility was damaged, as well as a barn, shed, and a fence and scoreboard at a baseball field.[31]
EF1 NE of North Vernon Jennings IN 39°07′56″N 85°28′56″W / 39.1322°N 85.4821°W / 39.1322; -85.4821 (North Vernon (Apr 25, EF1)) 23:52–23:53 0.05 mi (0.080 km) 30 yd (27 m) Several trees were snapped and uprooted.[32]
EF0 W of Greenville Darke OH 40°05′40″N 84°46′38″W / 40.0945°N 84.7771°W / 40.0945; -84.7771 (Greenville (Apr 25, EF0)) 02:07–02:09 0.99 mi (1.59 km) 80 yd (73 m) A residence suffered roof damage, with pieces of wood and siding ripped from the porch and tossed about 150 yd (140 m). Several rotten trees were uprooted. Another house and some outbuildings sustained minor roof damage.[33]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.

References

  1. ^ "Storm Prediction Center Apr 23, 2019 0730 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  2. ^ "Storm Prediction Center Apr 24, 2019 0600 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  3. ^ "Storm Prediction Center Apr 25, 2019 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  4. ^ Zeringue, Jacob (January 12, 2020). "Case Study of the Ruston, Louisiana, EF3 Tornado of 25 April 2019". American Meteorological Society.
  5. ^ "La. Tech facilities damaged by deadly tornado". ESPN. April 25, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  6. ^ Miller, Brody (January 3, 2022). "How college baseball nomads became an NCAA regional host: Louisiana Tech's road back after a tornado destroyed its home". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  7. ^ Diaz, Cory. "LA Tech sports facilities 'total rebuild' after 'devastating' early morning tornado". The News-Star. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  8. ^ Diaz, Cory. "Louisiana Tech sports facilities face 'total rebuild' after storm destroys fields". Argus Leader. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  9. ^ "Eyes in the storm". Ruston Daily Leader. April 30, 2019. Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  10. ^ a b Various National Weather Service offices (2025). "Damage Assessment Toolkit" (Interactive map and database). DAT. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  11. ^ Hilburn, Greg. "Ruston recovery: Pace stalls after fast start following deadly spring tornado". The News-Star. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  12. ^ "5 dead in Texas and Louisiana after severe storms overnight". WHNT. April 25, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  13. ^ "Ruston tornado anniversary". Ruston Daily Leader. April 24, 2024. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  14. ^ Edwards, John Bel (May 21, 2019). "Major Presidential Disaster Declaration Request" (PDF). Office of the Governor of Louisiana. p. 12. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  15. ^ Santana, Rebecca; Nadler, Ben (April 26, 2019). "'Devastation' as tornado rips through Louisiana town". WPEC. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  16. ^ a b "Friday marks 6 years since the Ruston tornado". KTBS. April 25, 2025. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  17. ^ Watkins, Chandler (April 25, 2020). "April 24 marks 1-year anniversary of deadly Ruston tornado". KSLA. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  18. ^ Sutton, Joe; Allen, Keith; Hanna, Jason (April 25, 2019). "A tornado ripped through a Louisiana college town in severe weather that left 5 dead in 2 states". CNN. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  19. ^ Remrey, Madison (April 25, 2024). "Five years later: Remembering those lost in 2019 Ruston tornado". KNOE-TV. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  20. ^ "Louisiana gov says 2 dead after tornado in city of Ruston". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  21. ^ "Louisiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Shreveport, Louisiana. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  22. ^ "Louisiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Shreveport, Louisiana. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  23. ^ "Louisiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Shreveport, Louisiana. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  24. ^ "Louisiana Event Report: EF2 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Jackson, Mississippi. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  25. ^ "Arkansas Event Report: EF1 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Jackson, Mississippi. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  26. ^ "Louisiana Event Report: EF0 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Shreveport, Louisiana. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  27. ^ "Louisiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Lake Charles, Louisiana. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  28. ^ "Mississippi Event Report: EF1 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in New Orleans, Louisiana. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  29. ^ "Mississippi Event Report: EF0 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Memphis, Tennessee. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  30. ^ "Indiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Indianapolis, Indiana. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  31. ^ "Mississippi Event Report: EF0 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Jackson, Mississippi. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  32. ^ "Indiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Indianapolis, Indiana. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  33. ^ "Ohio Event Report: EF0 Tornado" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Wilmington, Ohio. 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
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