Interesting bit of weather not far from where I work this afternoon.
From
http://www.iberianet.comSevere weather strikes New Iberia
BY STEVE WILSON AND HEATHER MILLER
THE DAILY IBERIAN
Published/Last Modified on Friday, August 8, 2008 4:41 PM CDT
A sudden tornado caused minor to moderate damage in New Iberia just before 1 p.m. today.
Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Wendell Raborn saod a funnel cloud touched down in the Winn-Dixie shopping center at Lewis St. in between Main and St. Peters streets in New Iberia.
The sheriff’s office said there was damage to 10 parked cars. A fence was also knocked over.
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“Witnesses saw the funnel cloud come down and move across the parking lot,” Raborn said.
National Weather Service Forecaster Sam Shamburger said the weather service has confirmed a tornado touchdown.
“This is based on the eye-witnessed descriptions and the damage,” Shamburger said.
Nette Vital, manager of Movie Gallery Video Store saw the twister move in a southwesterly direction across the parking lot.
“It was huge,” Vital said. “It went from The Daily Iberian building to Hong Kong Buffet and then across the parking lot.”
Winn-Dixie manager Dennis Champagne said that about six of his employees had window damage to their cars parked in the parking lot.
Sandra Lumpkin was in her car with her husband in the shopping center at 12:57 p.m. when the reported microburst hit.
“I was shaken,” Lumpkin said. “The windows were shattered and it was all over us.”
A few blocks over at Pellerin Funeral Home on Jefferson Terrace, a funnel cloud ripped off a portion of the funeral home roof during a funeral service and shattered a window on New Iberia resident Elizabeth Theriot’s van in the parking lot. Funeral home president Gene Pellerin said the roof damage only covers the carport.
Pellerin said he drove into the parking lot right before the twister touched down. He and his children were standing outside of his truck when debris began flying everywhere.
“I heard a loud noise and then saw the tunnel of wind,” said Pellerin. “I shoved my kids into the car, but the wind pressure was too strong for me to shut the door. But, be thankful everyone’s Ok.”
The tornado also picked up a dumpster and tossed it into the middle of the rear parking lot of Pellerin Funeral Home.
“I heard a very loud noise, sounded like a train, and then the whole building started shaking,” said Elizabeth Theriot, who was inside the funeral home when it happened. “That’s a sound I don’t want to hear anymore.”
The Sheriff’s Office said one person was taken to the Iberia Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries, according to the sheriff’s office.