Severe Weather Hits Northwest Louisiana

The National Weather Service has issued severe weather statements for most of Northwest Louisiana with the storms that have hit the area early this morning.

The most severe of these is the Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued around 4:30am which

reads:

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... NORTHWESTERN BIENVILLE PARISH IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA... SOUTHERN BOSSIER PARISH IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BOSSIER CITY... SOUTHEASTERN CADDO PARISH IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA... CLAIBORNE PARISH IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF HOMER... WEBSTER PARISH IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SPRINGHILL...MINDEN... SOUTH CENTRAL COLUMBIA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...

* UNTIL 530 AM CDT

* AT 430 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR SHREVEPORT TO NEAR SAREPTA LOUISIANA...MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST NEAR 40 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS CAPABLE OF DOWNING TREES AND POWERLINES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY!

Additionally from Accuweather.com:

A Severe Thunderstorm "Watch" will continue until 11am for the following:

BIENVILLE BOSSIER CADDO CALDWELL CATAHOULA CLAIBORNE CONCORDIA DE SOTO EAST CARROLL FRANKLIN GRANT JACKSON LA SALLE LINCOLN MADISON MOREHOUSE NATCHITOCHES OUACHITA RED RIVER RICHLAND SABINE TENSAS UNION WEBSTER WEST CARROLL WINN