National Weather Service confirms EF-0 tornado touched down in Arabi

ARABI, La. (WVUE) - The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down in Arabi Friday (June 19) evening with wind speeds estimated at 85 miles per hour.

The focus now shifts to recovery for the hardest hit homes and businesses. The tornado’s destruction path closed Rowley Boulevard and Norton Avenue between Judge Perez Drive and St. Bernard Highway, while first responders and energy crews made initial assessments.

Saturday morning, Parish President Louis Pomes returned to the area to speak with neighbors dealing with roof damage, debris, and the hidden dangers associated with downed power lines and damaged electrical systems.

John Minor, a disabled veteran living in Arabi, said the tornado pulled the power line off his house.

“I used to be an electrician. I can tell you right now, that’s the most dangerous thing in the world sitting out there. There’s no way they’re gonna power on with my house like it is,” Minor told Fox 8.

Minor said in the six years he has been in the home, he has lived through two hurricanes and three tornadoes. He said his mortgage has nearly doubled to reflect rising insurance costs.

A large tree is now tangled in the wires at the Minor Family’s home.

“We tried trimming a little, but at this point it’s just too dangerous to touch it, especially with the way it is sitting on the line,” his son, Jason Minor said.

Electrical hazards complicate power restoration

Parish President Pomes said post-tornado power restoration is more complicated than reconnecting wires.

“It can be a really bad situation. Actually, it can cause a fatality. You get people that’ll walk in a home, and they have bare wires because a piece of the roof blew off that was attached to open wires,” Pomes said.

Pomes said residents can also mistakenly hook up a generator that feeds power back to live wires on the ground. He said it is important to use a licensed electrician for any recovery work.

Pomes says his employees will prioritize the permits associated with storm recovery and threats to life. He echoed Governor Jeff Landry’s calls to submit damage reports, attached with photos, to www.damage.la.gov.

Pomes says Entergy crews responded to the emergency site to cut and redirect power supplies as needed to minimize additional injury from open power.

Family struggles with recovery costs

An accident ended John Minor’s career in the armed forces. He says the government classified him as disabled and he is living on a fixed income. He says despite making zero claims from any of the recent storms, his insurance premiums have risen.

“We can’t do anything to this house,” Minor said.

He said the family barely had enough money in savings to save their food supply with a generator.

“Who wants to buy a house that’s been through two hurricanes and three tornadoes in six years?” Jason Minor said.

The Minors are now waiting for their adjustor to process their claim. Meanwhile, Pomes said he is preparing to welcome the governor’s office for a tour of the parish Monday and plans to ask for help to recover.

Pomes will seek clarification from the state on whether Friday’s tornado damage will be classified as Arthur-related.

According to insurance expert Dean Basse, once a storm is named, the named-storm deductible applies to all damage from that system, typically for 24 to 36 hours after the event ends.

Instead, of a flat deductible, homeowners could owe a percentage of the loss, ranging typically between 2% and 5% Basse said rates can go up to 10% for high-priced homes.

Basse said homeowners with both wind and flood losses will have to pay two deductibles because they are covered under separate property and flood insurance policies. However, the named-storm deductible is annual, Basse said. What a homeowner pays contributes toward the year’s next named storm.

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