ST. JAMES PARISH, La. (WGNO) — St. James Parish residents are still coming to terms after a confirmed tornado touched down in the Romeville area overnight Thursday, May 16.
“This is a known area to get tornadoes,” said a Romeville resident.
“It was bad. It was real bad,” said another Romeville resident.
Entergy crews have been working to restore power, as the storm left several homes damaged. One of the many homes was the Inclusive Louisiana Headquarters.
“Our air conditioner unit is upside down. Our panel, electrical panel, something has gone wrong with it and the door, which was completely locked. Water and debris are in the kitchen area,” said the Founder of Inclusive Care Barbara Washington.
Margaret Rome recalls an electric pole landing just inches from her home.
“All of a sudden, I heard this roaring sound like a freight train, and I said oh my god it must be a tornado. It came so far, we didn’t have time to think,” said Rome.
Despite this, Rome explained that her family’s business “Rome’s Home Grown Tomatoes,” felt blessed the storm occurred this time of the season.
“The big screen was off the greenhouse and the inside was kind of bent. If it had happened earlier in the season it would have messed up the crops,” said Rome.
Officials, residents and the National Weather Service are surveying the areas while they begin clean-up efforts. One resident shared how scary it was to see just how fast severe weather can turn an area upside down.
“Devastating thing because it comes quick and it just snaps. Look at all those trees that have been here for hundreds of years and it just snaps it like a pencil,” said Washington.
St. James Parish is expected to get more inclement weather on Friday, May 17. It’s still unclear when power will be restored completely.
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