Did New Orleans tornado debris really land 100 miles away in a South Mississippi town?
100 miles.
That’s about how far away Arabi, Louisiana is from Perkinston, Mississippi — depending on what route you take from Google Maps.
And that’s how far one social media post claims debris traveled last Tuesday after a deadly tornado tore through Arabi in New Orleans East, killing one.
A post shared to Neutral Ground News, a popular New Orleans social media channel, on Instagram claimed items labeled from Arabi Elementary School landed on property in Perkinston, which is in Stone County.
Neutral Ground News shared a snapshot of the post with the caption: “That’s one hell of a journey!”
But did the journey really happen? Is it even possible?
The National Weather Service New Orleans, its office based in Slidell, said tornadoes can hold onto and spew debris miles from where it once stood.
“It is certainly possible with specific tornadoes that continue on the ground on a long track,” said Jared Klein, NWS meteorologist. “It kind of gets stuck with the updraft or rising motion, and could take a while to fall out.”
However, it is highly unlikely the debris allegedly found in Perkinston was from the Arabi tornado “because the tornado quickly dissipated before it hit Lake Pontchartrain as it was moving through New Orleans East,” Klein said.
New Orleans and the Mississippi Coast are preparing for severe weather Wednesday. Thunderstorms are likely, and tropical storm force winds and tornadoes are possible, according to the NWS.
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 4:50 PM.
