NATCHITOCHES, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The National Weather Service tracking storm damage through parts of Natchitoches Parish after a line of severe storms earlier this week confirmed Friday there were four tornado touchdowns in various areas.
Damage was found across Ashland, Chestnut, Campti, Melrose, and Powhatan after a severe line of storms tore through the area on March 30. The tornadoes overturned an 18-wheeler and chicken houses in the Powhatan area, damaging between 5-10 structures total. Downed trees along state and parish roads left residents without power for several hours.
One large tree fell on a Powhatan home, landing on a bed where an 8-month-old child was asleep. The child’s great grandmother ran into the room to find her sitting upright between the branches, smiling at her.
“She was right there with all that white stuff in her little hair. When I saw her, she looks at me and smiled, and I just got right quick and grabbed her and start holding her and saying, ‘Thank you, Jesus, thank you.”
An elderly couple on Loyd Road took shelter in a hallway shortly before a large tree crashed into their home, leaving extensive damage.
Another family was trapped inside their double-wide mobile home after a tree fell on it. A total of four trees fell on the house.
Natchitoches Sheriff Stuart Wright said in a post on Facebook, “We are thankful and grateful there were no injuries during this severe weather event. We hope this is attributed to weather service and media warnings. We would like to also thank all agencies and citizens that responded to help family, friends, and neighbors on Wednesday.”