The National Weather Service has officially confirmed an EF3 tornado touched down in New Orleans East.Survey crews are continuing their investigation of the damage and more detailed information will be available later Wednesday.
The Enhanced Fujita Scale determines the intensity of a tornado through a post-storm damage assessment by the National Weather Service.Damage characteristics of an EF-3 tornado include:Roofs torn off well-constructed buildingsSome walls blown downA majority of trees uprootedTrains overturned, and/or vehicles lifted off the ground.When similar damage is found in an area where a tornado is known to have occurred, winds can be estimated at 136-165 mph.