Chaos in Louisiana Today! Tornado, Storm Arthur, Floods Destroys Homes in Slidell

[00:00:00]Again, we have another we have another couple of storms to come.

[00:00:04]Stay indoors, stay sheltered. Um and we'll provide updates along the way.

[00:00:12]>> The lingering moisture-rich remnants of post-tropical storm Arthur, the premier named system of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, surged across Southeast Louisiana with devastating force.

[00:00:24]While the storm's defined atmospheric eye technically dissipated into a decentralized low-pressure trough along the upper Texas coastline late Wednesday evening, its expansive moisture-laden tail bands triggered an onslaught of meteorologic chaos across the Pelican State throughout Thursday, June 18th, and into Friday, June 19th, 2026.

[00:00:47]Southeastern Louisiana was bombarded by multi-inch downpours ranging from 5 to 10 inches in less than a 3-hour window, forcing a cascade of flash flood emergencies.

[00:00:59]A volatile atmospheric profile spawned at least three confirmed EF1 tornadoes that tore through suburban neighborhoods, ripping roofs from residential dwellings, snapping utility poles, and turning parked vehicles into crushed, mangled wreckage.

[00:01:16]Following local declarations of emergencies from impacted parish presidents, Governor Jeff Landry officially signed a sweeping state of emergency for several heavily battered jurisdictions, unlocking state-level disaster relief funding and deploying National Guard assets to coordinate extensive high-water rescues.

[00:01:35]Initial damage matrices indicate that over 39,520 utility customers were cast into immediate blackout conditions, with infrastructural damage to municipal sewer systems, arterial roadways, and freight rail networks crippling regional commerce.

[00:01:54]Jefferson Parish endured the dual-pronged brutality of Arthur's tail bands.

[00:01:58]It suffered both catastrophic suburban inundation and direct structural strikes from tornadic supercells.

[00:02:05]In the city of Kenner, municipal drainage capacities were utterly overwhelmed when a localized meteorological cell dumped between 6 and 10 inches of rain in a span of less than 2 hours.

[00:02:18]Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley grimly described the event as a gut punch to the city's civil infrastructure.

[00:02:25]The sudden deluge transformed major thoroughfares, such as Williams Boulevard, West Esplanade Avenue, and the upscale Chateau Estates community into impassable rushing waterways.

[00:02:38]The most shocking structural visual occurred along the airport access road leading to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

[00:02:46]In an unprecedented event, the highly engineered access highway went completely underwater.

[00:02:53]This trapped travelers and cut off vehicular egress to the terminal.

[00:02:57]The vehicular toll in Kenner was severe.

[00:03:00]Between 50 and 70 vehicles became instantly stalled and submerged as motorists attempted to navigate rapidly rising waters.

[00:03:09]Dozens of sedans, SUVs, and delivery vans were abandoned in the middle of intersections.

[00:03:15]Rising waters crept up to windshield levels before municipal high-water rescue trucks could extract the stranded drivers.

[00:03:22]While interior water intrusion into residential brick-and-mortar homes was initially reported as minimal due to elevated structural pads, the hyper-saturated soil combined with high winds caused massive root system failures.

[00:03:36]In the Driftwood neighborhood, giant oaks toppled directly onto parked vehicles, crushing passenger cabins, and severing overhead electrical feeders.

[00:03:45]On the West Bank of Jefferson Parish, the destruction shifted from hydrological to aerodynamic.

[00:03:52]A confirmed EF1 tornado touched down with ferocious velocity, carving a path through residential sectors and mobile home communities.

[00:04:00]>> Tornado!

[00:04:01]>> The structural violence in Avondale was highlighted by the near total destruction of several manufactured trailer homes.

[00:04:08]One horrifying incident involved a woman who was pinned directly to her sofa when the tornadic winds violently peeled the roof off her trailer home, causing the external walls to buckle and collapse inward.

[00:04:20]>> A lot of damage.

[00:04:20]>> First responders described a scene cluttered with blown-out insulation, shredded aluminum siding, and personal belongings dangling from remaining structural studs.

[00:04:31]Vehicles parked adjacent to the path of the tornado were flipped onto their sides or pelted with airborne wooden projectiles, blowing out windows and rendering them total insurance losses.

[00:04:42]Metairie faced a multifaceted crisis involving a train derailment, structural tornadic destruction, and widespread residential street flooding.

[00:04:52]An EF1 tornado struck a commercial corridor along Cold Storage Road, peeling corrugated steel roofs off commercial warehouses, and scattering sharp metal debris across regional roadways.

[00:05:04]Severe wind shear and destabilized track ballast caused a 12-car train derailment involving a CPKC Railroad freight train.

[00:05:13]The massive rail cars jumped the tracks, twisting steel rails and bringing down an entire network of high-voltage transmission lines.

[00:05:21]This blocked freight movement and forced passenger rail networks like Amtrak to halt operations, establishing emergency bus bridges to transport stranded passengers between New Orleans and Birmingham.

[00:05:33]On a domestic scale, neighborhood streets, including Transcontinental Drive, Kawanee Avenue, Ruth Street, and Boutall Street were swamped.

[00:05:41]Residents captured footage of desperate drivers attempting to power their trucks through deep wakes on West Esplanade, only for the water to flood engine blocks and stall the vehicles permanently.

[00:05:53]In the coastal bayou country, Terrebonne Parish President Jason Bergeron enacted a localized state of emergency as Arthur's internal core bands raked the landscape with straight-line winds and potential tornadic spins.

[00:06:07]The city of Houma bore the brunt of the structural devastation.

[00:06:11]The worst localized damage was recorded near the intersection of Evelyn Road, Levron Street, and Grand Caillou Road.

[00:06:19]A powerful atmospheric downdraft or unconfirmed tornado struck a commercial and residential cluster, damaging or completely unroofing more than a dozen homes and businesses.

[00:06:30]Storefront windows were imploded by the immense barometric pressure shifts, exposing interior inventories to the falling tropical downpours.

[00:06:39]Residential roofs were caved in by falling trees or clean peeled by wind forces.

[00:06:45]Local resident Deanna Boudreaux White recounted the terror of the impact, noting that the storm initially detonated like a bomb, then it does sound like a train, a classic hallmark of localized tornadic strikes.

[00:06:59]The vehicular landscape in Houma's affected neighborhoods was decimated by falling debris.

[00:07:05]Heavy commercial shingles, splintered rafters, and uprooted pine trees fell squarely onto trucks and cars parked along Tunnel Boulevard and Idlewild Drive.

[00:07:15]Streets were rendered completely impassable, not just by standing water, but by a thick matrix of structural debris and low-hanging live electrical wires.

[00:07:26]Across Lake Pontchartrain, St. Tammany Parish emergency officials spent Wednesday night and all of Thursday executing pre-planned evacuations and deploying thousands of defensive sandbags as regional river systems swelled to dangerous levels.

[00:07:40]>> uh rescue Slidell, the primary crisis stemmed from severe drainage failure and coastal bayou backwater flooding.

[00:07:49]>> Um >> Entire suburban neighborhoods were submerged under several feet of murky water, with water levels reaching high enough up the foundations of homes that residents were observed navigating municipal streets using recreational kayaks.

[00:08:03]The high winds blowing across Lake Pontchartrain created fierce whitecaps near Eden Isles, pushing water over seawalls and into low-lying garages.

[00:08:13]On the infrastructural front, the sheer force of the storm's wind bands caused a massive 18-wheeler commercial truck to flip completely over near the Oak Harbor exit.

[00:08:23]This brought interstate traffic to a grinding halt.

[00:08:27]On Interstate 10, conditions became so terrifying due to wind-swept bridges and blinding rainfall that desperate drivers were filmed crossing the grassy highway median to turn around, actively avoiding the elevated Twin Spans bridge structure.

[00:08:42]Further inland near Folsom, the Tchefuncte River experienced a catastrophic surge, rapidly reaching a major flood stage.

[00:08:50]Along Louisiana Highway 1077, the river burst through its natural banks and structural levees, spilling directly into surrounding residential properties and agricultural lands.

[00:09:01]Property owners were forced into frantic last-minute asset preservation.

[00:09:05]Residents like Dalton Sacks were documented utilizing specialized mud buggies and heavy tractors to haul boats and expensive agricultural machinery away from the rising riverfront before their properties were swallowed by the muddy currents.

[00:09:21]Multiple homes along the river corridor suffered ground-floor water intrusion.

[00:09:26]This ruined flooring, destroyed appliances, and submerged water well pumps, prompting immediate localized water rescues by wildlife agents.

[00:09:36]The city of New Orleans proper, under the leadership of Mayor Helena Moreno, managed to dodge the catastrophic hydrological failures that plagued its surrounding parishes.

[00:09:45]This was largely due to the aggressive pre-storm clearing of catch basins and the continuous operation of the sewerage and water board's massive drainage pump network.

[00:09:55]However, the city was far from unscathed.

[00:09:58]Widespread gale-force gusts and lightning strikes ripped through the historical canopy of the city.

[00:10:05]In the Gentilly neighborhood, specifically along street Bernard Avenue, Madrid Street, and Cartier Avenue, massive tree limbs snapped, crashing into residential power poles.

[00:10:18]A live, sparking high-voltage power line fell directly onto a residential home in the 1300 block of Madrid Street, creating an immediate fire hazard and knocking out power to the entire block.

[00:10:30]Vehicular travel in Gentilly and Lake Vista was severely impeded by fallen trees blocking entire roadways, while minor street flooding at intersections like Apollo Drive, Mound Street, and Milne Street forced commuters to navigate through foot-deep water.

[00:10:45]The sheer geographical scope of Arthur's destructive tailbands prompted a massive logistical deployment by the governor's office of homeland security and emergency preparedness.

[00:10:57]Utility giant Entergy reported a massive grid destabilization.

[00:11:02]Approximately 39,520 customers were plunged into darkness across Louisiana due to a combination of tornadic strikes, fallen trees, and flooded substations.

[00:11:15]The hardest-hit parishes included Jefferson Parish, 18,519 blackouts.

[00:11:22]Terrebonne Parish, 8,800 blackouts.

[00:11:27]St. Tammany Parish, 4,327 blackouts St. Tammany Parish 4,327 blackouts Lafourche Parish 1,986 blackouts Several critical water and drainage pumps briefly went offline due to localized power surges.

[00:11:52]This exacerbated flash flooding before emergency backup diesel generators could clear the automated switchboards.

[00:11:59]As water overtopped foundations in Terrebonne and Jefferson Parishes, the United Cajun Navy mobilized its extensive network of volunteer search and rescue boaters.

[00:12:10]Led on the ground by tactical spotters and meteorological coordinators, volunteer crews deployed shallow draft flats boats to navigate flooded suburban streets in Metairie and Houma.

[00:12:21]They assisted elderly residents trapped by rising waters and helped salvage household items from structural failures.

[00:12:28]Concurrently, GOHSEP spokesman Mike Steele confirmed that the American Red Cross had established emergency shelter operations in coordination with local parish officials to house residents whose homes were left entirely uninhabitable due to collapsed roofs or severe floodwater contamination.

[00:12:48]As the weather system slowly migrates toward the northeastern United States, Louisiana state officials have pivoted toward recovery operations.

[00:12:56]They are issuing strict directives to protect citizens from both environmental hazards and predatory financial behavior.

[00:13:04]The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, LDWF, issued an urgent public safety advisory warning residents that extreme floodwaters have significantly displaced regional wildlife.

[00:13:17]High waters in canals and bayous have allowed mature alligators to swim effortlessly into flooded residential carports, driveways, and breezeways presenting an immediate physical threat to residents returning to inspect their properties.

[00:13:31]Floodwaters have driven displaced venomous snakes, including cottonmouths, water moccasins, and copperheads out of their natural marsh habitats.

[00:13:41]They are seeking refuge in dry areas like residential porches, wood piles, and interior caved-in drywall structures.

[00:13:49]Officials are reminding citizens that standing floodwater is highly contaminated with municipal sewage runoff and can conceal submerged live electrical lines, sharp structural metal siding, and aggressive fire ant colonies.

[00:14:04]Returning residents are strictly urged to wear heavy rubber boots, avoid wading through standing water, and wait for comprehensive clearance from local parish engineers.

[00:14:15]With thousands of structural roofs damaged and up to 70 vehicles ruined by sudden water ingestion in Kenner alone, GOHSEP and the Louisiana Department of Insurance have published mandatory legal guidelines for storm victims to ensure successful insurance payouts.

[00:14:34]Homeowners and vehicle owners must thoroughly photograph and record video of all angles of structural destruction, internal water lines, and vehicle dashboard positions before performing any cleanup or removing debris from the premises.

[00:14:50]Under standard Louisiana insurance law, policy holders are legally required to take reasonable immediate actions to mitigate further structural deterioration.

[00:15:00]This includes boarding up shattered windows to prevent subsequent rain intrusion and placing heavy-duty tarps over caved-in roof segments.

[00:15:08]All receipts for tarps, plywood, and emergency tools must be meticulously preserved for direct reimbursement.

[00:15:15]State officials are reminding devastated residents that standard homeowners insurance policies strictly exclude coverage for rising floodwaters.

[00:15:24]>> Yeah, that happened. Victims experiencing ground floor water intrusion must immediately bypass standard claims lines and file claims directly via their specialized National Flood Insurance Program NFIP portal or call 1-800-621-3362 to activate their federal flood adjusters.

[00:15:45]To combat the inevitable surge of post-disaster fraud, the state requires that all independent insurance adjusters and construction contractors be fully vetted.

[00:15:56]Citizens can instantly verify an adjuster's state license by contacting the Louisiana Department of Insurance at 1-800-259-5300 or by cross-referencing contractor credentials via the official portal of the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors.

[00:16:14]As municipal utility crews work through the weekend to replace snapped cross drains, repair washed out roads like LA-37, and erect new high-voltage transmission lines, Southeast Louisiana faces a long road to structural restoration.

[00:16:30]However, the state's fortified post-Katrina pump systems and rapid local emergency management protocols have successfully mitigated what could have been an even greater catastrophe.

[00:16:51]>> Later. 20 minutes later.

[00:16:54]Look at my ass in this one. Look at it.

[00:16:56]Look at my yard. Flooding and issues and canals and all that and the roads and And he forgot to go through this. So many people pass on this road every day that don't even live on the road.

[00:17:09]>> [applause] >> Honey, I'm sorry. It was a quick try and buy. I'm sorry, buddy.

[00:17:32]I know you can.

[00:17:37]Wow.

[00:17:38]Look at the house.

[00:17:40]Wow.

[00:17:53]It's right here, y'all. Look at this.

[00:18:02]Over here.

[00:18:37]Look at this.

[00:18:38]Look at this, honey.