Deadly Tornado hits New Orleans Suburbs

The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado hit Westwego early Tuesday morning, and at least one woman has died in connection with the severe weather.

An 85-year-old Gentilly woman died after being thrown from her home, officials said. WDSU NewsChannel 6 Meteorologist Margaret Orr said a tornado likely jumped from the Westbank and touched down again in the Gentilly area.

On the Westbank, the roof of the Bon Soir Motel on the 600 block of the Westbank Expressway was torn off and thrown two blocks. It's lying in the middle of the Westbank Expressway, which currently is closed to traffic.

Although the structure is still standing, the motel's brick walls were also torn off.

Trailers were overturned in the area, Westwego Mayor Robert Billiot said, and at least 12 homes were damaged. So far, there's no word on the condition of the residents, but there are no confirmed fatalities in Jefferson Parish.

Jefferson Parish authorities were sending teams door-to-door through the area to check on residents.

Westwego officials said nine people were injured, including four who were taken to a local hospital.

Westwego Police Chief Dwayne Munch Sr. said the area should be considered off-limits. Westwego fire officials said power lines are down, so residents should be extremely careful when leaving their homes.

Worley School at 801 Spartan Lane is open as a shelter for residents.

Jefferson Parish officials also opened a shelter at the Pard Playground, 5185 Eighty Arpent Road, in Marrero for Westbank residents whose homes were damaged.

Many areas in New Orleans are without power. Some parts of Carrollton suffered heavy wind damage, including several garages that collapsed.

A two-story home in Carrollton was lifted off its foundation and collapsed.

Residents said one damaged home fell onto the FEMA trailer in the front yard.

Entergy crews are working to cap a gas leak near the corner of Dublin and Belfast streets.

On the east bank, the Gentilly firehouse on Franklin Avenue suffered heavy damage, and there were reports from Uptown of windows being blown out.

The New Orleans Fire Department confirmed that the temporary station for Engine 12 in Gentilly was damaged during the storm and that there were some firefighters who sustained injuries.

Entergy officials said 17,000 people were without power in Carrollton. Entergy estimates that, in all, there are approximately 30,000 residents without power.

A shelter is open at the Girard Playground, 5300 Irving St., in Metairie, for east bank residents.

On the Northshore, trees were reported down on Highway 53 about five miles south of Poplarville. The National Weather Service said damage was from a probable tornado.

Stay tuned to WDSU NewsChannel 6 and refresh WDSU.com for the latest information.

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