One person was killed and several others were injured when an apparent tornado touched down in Church Point Sunday night.
In addition to the fatality, at least nine people reportedly received injuries ranging from mild to serious in nature.
According to a report from the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, one person was killed when their home, located at 1195 Prudence Highway, was lifted off its pilings and thrown 30 to 40 feet into a nearby field, just three miles northwest of Church Point.
The victim of Sunday nights tornado has been identified as Latreka Dominick, 27.
Severe damage was also reported to several homes in the area.
About 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, the National Weather Service in Lake Charles issued a tornado warning for Acadia, St. Landry and Evangeline parishes. At that time, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Chataignier in Evangeline Parish, and the storm was moving southeast at 20 mph. The storm reached the Richard area around 8:35 p.m and arrived near Church Point about 8:45 p.m.
Several area fire departments responded to the scenes, including the Richard, Riche and Church Point fire departments.
Church Point Volunteer Fire Department Chief Raymond Ledoux and CPVFD Public Information Officer Berl Adams were among those who responded to the call.
“We received a call from the Richard Fire Department chief around 8:56 p.m,” Adams said. “The call was that a trailer house had flipped over on the Prudence Highway.”
Adams said that when they arrived at the location in the 1300 block of Prudence Highway, many mobiles homes and one house were destroyed, and several people were injured. One of the mobile homes landed across the highway from its original location, and another mobile home was flipped on its side, leaning against yet another destroyed mobile home. Several vehicles were also damaged.
In addition to assisting on the scene, Adams, who is a preacher at a local church, spoke to some of those who were injured.
“Several people were real shook up,” Adams said.
The storm appeared to continue traveling southeast toward St. Margaret Road, and trees, rice dryer bins and 18-wheelers were also damaged along that roadway.
Adams also said that during the storm a tree fell on a home on Beaugh Street in Church Point, but no injuries were reported in that incident.
Church Point Police Chief Chief Dale Thibodeaux stated, in a news release, “The town received very minimal damage with no injuries during the weather that came through earlier this evening. Just out of town, our neighbors to the north of us on Louisiana Highway 751 were not so lucky. I ask everyone to please pray for our neighbors in the Acadia and St. Landry Parish area on Highway 751. Our hearts and prayers go out to you at this tragic time.”
The SPC reported that the same possible tornado flipped an 18-wheeler onto its side near the intersection of highways 751 and 35 just north of the downtown area of Church Point.
First responders from several departments responded to the scenes, including the Church Point Volunteer Fire Department. CPVFD Public Information Officer Berl Adams confirmed that several people were injured when the storm hit the Prudence Highway area.
The National Weather Service sent a team to Acadia Parish on Monday to survey the damage and make a definite determination as to whether it was a tornado.
The SPC also reported damage caused by two additional possible tornadoes in neighboring parishes: the first in Calcasieu Parish and the second in the Evangeline Parish area around Mamou.
These storms likely initiated along a cold front that pushed through Acadia during the day Sunday.
(Church Point News Editor Claudette Olivier contributed to this story.)