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The National Weather Service is confirming an EF-1 tornado hit Slidell in Wednesday morning's storms.
The heavy weather injured several people and caused widespread damage across St. Tammany Parish.
Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer says it's the worst storm damage the area has seen since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Parish President Mike Cooper has declared a parish-wide state of emergency.
No serious injuries or deaths have been reported.
In southwest Louisiana, the NWS also confirmed an EF-2 tornado struck Lake Charles Wednesday morning, with maximum winds of 115 miles per hour.
It touched down on the eastern side of McNeese State University and stayed on the ground for more than a mile.
The twister damaged homes in its path, blew down trees and power lines, and damaged the roof of the Moss Memorial Health Complex. There were no injuries reported.
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