Storms sweep through Richland Parish

Storms destroyed at least one home and damaged others last Wednesday while traveling through Richland Parish.

“We had a couple of houses demolished when trees fell on them,” Richland Parish Sheriff Lee Harrell said. “There were some trees down across roads and some power lines down. A lot of houses lost shingles and tin. It cut a swath from Oak Ridge to Madison Parish.”

Entergy estimated about 4,000 customers in northeast Louisiana lost power during the story which consisted of hail and 70 mile per hour straight line winds.

The storm entered northeastern Louisiana through Union Parish and continued southeast from southern Morehouse Parish and northern Ouachita Parish. It entered Richland Parish around Oak Ridge, slashing through Delhi and Poverty Point Reservoir before crossing into Madison Parish.

Four people were treated for minor storm-related injuries, Harrell said.

“We had four minor injuries in Delhi ... three members in one house where a tree fell ... and then one guy who got caught out on the lake,” Harrell said.

Roof damage in the area was so bad emergency workers ran out of tarps. Harrell said firefighters in the Delhi area were helping to cover roofs with tarps when they ran out and he had to send his wife to the store to look for more.

“There was a lot of damage,” he said. “We were out trying to help clear roads. I saw some of those pivot irrigation lines turned over and there’s not a lot there for wind to catch on to.”

Damage to crops seemed to come mainly from hail which fell in the path of the storm as it made its way through Richland Parish.