Damage surveys from Thursday's severe storms in Louisiana have revealed the first United States tornadoes of 2013.
According to the National Weather Service, three EF-1 tornadoes touched down in southern Louisiana Thursday morning with winds of 86 to 109 mph.
The tornadoes caused damage in Iberia, St. Martin and Iberville parishes.
The first official tornado of 2013 touched down in Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, damaging an estimated 50 homes, according to the NWS. The tornado was about 50 yards wide and was on the ground for three miles.
The second tornado touched down about three miles southeast of New Iberia just before 6 a.m. Thursday, sporadically causing damaging in Iberia Parish. Twelve mobile homes were damaged with three pushed off their foundations, trees were snapped and several outbuildings were destroyed.
The third confirmed tornado was captured on an industrial plant security camera, ripping across the Plaquemine area of Iberville Parish around 7:30 a.m. Thursday. This tornado ripped a small area of siding and roofing off a metal building as it tracked one-third of a mile on the ground, while reaching 100 yards wide.
No injuries were reported from these tornadoes.
The first official U.S. tornado of 2013 actually hit a day after when the first tornado of 2012 occurred. (1st tornado of 2012 on Jan. 9 at 8:45 a.m. CST in Texas versus the 1st tornado of 2013 on Jan. 10 at 5:30 a.m. CST in Louisiana).
This was also a day that brought the first U.S. tornado watches of 2013.
The NWS issued two tornado watches and a dozen warnings as rotating storms affected southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
The tornadoes that hit Louisiana were part of a severe weather event that produced widespread flooding, prompting evacuations and a statewide emergency on Thursday.
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