1 dead after Beryl leaves trail of damage across the ArkLaTex

(KSLA) — A 30-year-old woman died when Beryl moved through the ArkLaTex on Monday, July 8, after making landfall on the Texas coast as a Category 1 storm.

The resident in northeast Benton died as a result of a tree falling on her house, the Bossier Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana Department of Health report. She was identified by Bossier Parish Coroner’s Office as Kaylan Logan. She was found in her home off E. Linton Road.

An autopsy is being performed to confirm cause of death.

RELATED:

• Deadly Beryl-related storms leave damage throughout the ArkLaTex
• Harrison County sees harsh storm damage
• Emergency crews rescue Texas residents stranded by high waters after Beryl unleashes its fury

More than 2 million people in and around Houston are without power due to Beryl. In northwest Louisiana, United Airlines at Shreveport Regional Airport cancelled all flights to and from Houston due to Beryl.

It began with the National Weather Service office in Shreveport tracking three confirmed tornadoes on radar just before 1:30 p.m. Two were spotted in Texas around Joaquin and Timpson, and the third was near Converse in Sabine Parish.

The Weather Service office in Shreveport ultimately issued 67 tornado warnings Monday, the most ever issued in a single day, KSLA First Alert Chief Meteorologist Matt Jones said. The previous record was 36 warnings on Dec. 27, 2015.

Reports of storm damage have been coming in from throughout the ArkLaTex:

BIENVILLE PARISH, LA.

BOSSIER PARISH, LA.

• Reports of homes destroyed in Haughton and Benton.

Bossier Sheriff’s Office confirms:

• 7 structures/homes with downed trees on them
• 12 sites where trees are downed on roadways
• areas heavily impacted are in Benton and Haughton, specifically Bellevue Road in Haughton and Bellevue and Linton roads in Benton. Damage also reported along Louisiana Highway 2 at Plain Dealing and Crouch Road.

The Bossier Sheriff’s Office says:

“Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington reports that the Sheriff’s Office has received numerous reports of storm damage in our area that deputies and crews are currently working to clear up. The damage includes trees down on powerlines, roads and some structures. Many areas are without power as well.

“One storm-related fatality has been reported in the Benton area. A resident was killed after a tree fell on her house in northeast Benton. Details about the incident are limited at this time.

“The path of destruction began in the southern part of the parish in Elm Grove and is still being assessed all the way up to the (Louisiana) Highway 2 area in Plain Dealing. Areas that are heavily affected are the Bellevue/Wafer Road areas in Haughton, Linton-Bellevue/Crouch Road area and the Old Plain Dealing Road area in Benton. Sheriff Whittington urges everyone to avoid the affected areas so damage can be further assessed and removed from roadways and powerlines.

“Sheriff Whittington also would also like to remind everyone that some roads heavily affected could be closed for some time. Also, it could be quite some time before power is fully restored to some areas in the parish.”

And Barksdale Air Force Base issued this statement:

“Barksdale AFB has experienced minimal damage from the storm, with only downed tree limbs to report at this time. Our Civil Engineer team is assessing and addressing any issues caused by the storm, while our primary focus remains on the safety and support of our airmen and their families.”.

CADDO PARISH, LA.

• Officials say two people are in the hospital after their trailer was rolled over near Horton Road.

DeSOTO PARISH, LA.

• A resident tells KSLA they’re seeing damage in Lula, north of Converse. Houses are said to be damaged and trees have fallen.
• Mobile home destroyed, RVs damaged, power lines downed along Louisiana Highway 346.
• Church members report Beulah Baptist Church is heavily damaged, including a second sanctuary and another building on the property.
• Life Center on Hwy 481 between Stanley and Logansport damaged. Steeple found ¼ of a mile away in a field.

NATCHITOCHES PARISH, LA.

• Tree snapped in half in Powhatan

SABINE PARISH, LA.

• A natural gas leak was reported on Louisiana Highway 174 at Bruce Road east of Pleasant Hill. The highway has been closed to traffic.
• The Sabine Sheriff’s Office confirms tornadoes touched down in the parish, specifically in the area of Louisiana Highway 191 and Pleasant Hill
• Trees and power lines down in Pleasant Hill

SHELBY COUNTY, TEXAS

• Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says major damage has been reported in Timpson at City Hall, various businesses and clinics. They’re also reporting flipped vehicles and a significant amount of downed trees.

POWER OUTAGES

As of early Tuesday morning, the number of outages totaled 41,793, including 3,709 in Arkansas, 22,984 in Louisiana and 15,100 in Texas.

The bulk of the outages in Louisiana were in Bossier Parish [10,564] and Caddo Parish [6,044].

Outages in East Texas included 4,918 in Gregg County, 3,360 in Shelby County, 1,950 in Harrison County and 1,474 in Upshur County.)

SWEPCO posted the following:

“With ongoing confirmed tornadoes across the ArkLaTex service area, there have been impacts to our energy delivery system. As a result, additional outages could occur until SWEPCO’s transmission system is stabilized. Customers should prepare to be without service for an extended period. Our teams will be working as soon as possible to safely get the power restored.

“Tropical Storm Beryl, once a Category 5 hurricane, made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast early Monday morning. As Beryl moves inland, the strong storm system has spawned several tornadoes, produced strong winds and heavy rainfall. The threat continues for more tornadoes and flooding through Tuesday. Customers are encouraged to stay weather aware.

“As of 4 p.m. Monday, approximately 23,000 SWEPCO customers were without power. This includes customers in Southwest Arkansas, Northwest Louisiana and Northeast Texas. New outages could continue to occur as the transmission system is stabilized.”

PHOTOS & VIDEOS OF DAMAGE FROM BERYL

Copyright 2024 KSLA. All rights reserved.