AP story of Louisiana tornadoes-fron NOLA.com

[LaPlaceFF]

One killed, homes destroyed in Louisiana storms, tornadoes
11/24/2004, 8:55 a.m. CT
The Associated Press

OLLA, La. (AP) — Tornadoes struck around Louisiana late Tuesday and early Wednesday, killing one person in this rural town and destroying dozens of homes and businesses as far south as the New Orleans suburbs, authorities said.

A twister hit the central Louisiana town of Olla "real hard," pulling down trees and power lines, LaSalle Parish Sheriff Carl Smith said. No details were immediately available about the person who was killed.

The tornado and storm struck the rural town, about 165 miles west of Jackson, Miss., around 9 p.m. Tuesday. Similar destruction was reported in neighboring Caldwell Parish, where Sheriff Steve May said two houses were destroyed, others had their roofs blown off and four state highways were blocked by fallen trees.

"One lady was trapped after a tree fell on her house," May said, though no injuries were reported.

Around 2,500 homes lost power in the Jena, Olla and Columbia area overnight, Entergy Corp. spokesman Kenny Solly said.

Twisters also touched down in southeast Louisiana, damaging homes and causing a handful of injuries, none fatal, authorities said. A twister hit a subdivision north of Slidell, a New Orleans suburb, damaging as many as 50 homes, at least 10 of them severely, St. Tammany Sheriff's spokesman James Hartman said. Six people reported injuries, but no fatalities, Hartman said.

Another tornado apparently sliced across Westwego, in Jefferson Parish, shortly after 5 a.m., damaging several homes and businesses, ripping down powerlines, "uprooting trees and tearing off rooftops in its path," Police Chief Dwayne Munch said.

Munch reported no injuries, but heavy damage to several businesses, including a grocery store whose roof was ripped off and a drug store whose windows were blown out.