In the overnight hours on May 17th into the early morning on May 18th, a cluster of slow moving severe thunderstorms associated with a weak mid-level disturbance drifted east across southeastern Louisiana. Ample overnight instability and weak steering flow resulted in damaging wind gusts, flash flooding and a few isolated weak tornadoes.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 19:22:00 to 17-MAY-21 20:22:00 (CST-6)
Location: INNISWOLD
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Report of water entering at least one home near Jefferson and Airline highways.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 21:20:00 to 17-MAY-21 22:20:00 (CST-6)
Location: ARLINGTON
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Report of St. George Fire Department conducting a high water rescue from a home in St. George.

Flash Flood in ASCENSION, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:04:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:04:00 (CST-6)
Location: GEISMAR
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Highway 75 closed at Waterloo Drive due to high water across the road.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:07:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:07:00 (CST-6)
Location: FOREMAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Social Media

Report of water in a home near the intersection of Perkins Road and Pecue Lane.

Flash Flood in ASCENSION, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:09:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:09:00 (CST-6)
Location: DUTCH TOWN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Bluff road at C Braud Road closed due to high water across the road.

Flash Flood in ST. CHARLES, LOUISIANA
From 18-MAY-21 02:30:00 to 18-MAY-21 03:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: NORCO
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Numerous roads reported impassable in the Norco area.

Lightning in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 18:28:00 to 17-MAY-21 18:28:00 (CST-6)
Location: GREENWELL SPGS
Property damage: 2.50K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

Lightning struck a home on El Ranchitos Avenue causing a gas line to ignite on a water heater.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:54:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:54:00 (CST-6)
Location: MILLERVILLE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Social Media

Streets impassable due to high water in O'Neal Place Subdivision off O'Neal Lane. Water approaching some homes.

Flash Flood in ASCENSION, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:55:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:55:00 (CST-6)
Location: HOPE VILLA
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Social Media

Chadsford Avenue impassable due to high water.

Flash Flood in ST. CHARLES, LOUISIANA
From 18-MAY-21 02:30:00 to 18-MAY-21 03:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: HAHNVILLE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Numerous roads reported impassable in the Hahnville area.

Flash Flood in ST. CHARLES, LOUISIANA
From 18-MAY-21 03:37:00 to 18-MAY-21 04:37:00 (CST-6)
Location: DUFRESNE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Numerous roads reported impassable in the Destrahan area.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:49:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:49:00 (CST-6)
Location: ESSEN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Scholar Drive impassable due to water covering roads, blocking access to Bonaire Subdivision.

Flash Flood in IBERVILLE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:52:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:52:00 (CST-6)
Location: ST GABRIEL
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Social Media

Magnolia Drive and Plantation Drive in St. Gabriel impassable due to high water.

Thunderstorm Wind in ST. BERNARD, LOUISIANA
From 18-MAY-21 04:43:00 to 18-MAY-21 04:43:00 (CST-6)
Location: VIOLET
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Report of wind damage in Violet on South Lake Boulevard. Damage consists of some metal awnings and a patio cover along with a wooden gazebo lifted and moved. Several large oak tree branches also down.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 18-MAY-21 05:30:00 to 18-MAY-21 06:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: UNIVERSITY
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

Numerous vehicles underwater across the southern part of East Baton Rouge parish from earlier flash flooding from heavy rain.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:00:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: WESTMINSTER
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

An underpass quickly flooded which resulted in one fatality in a car. Time estimated.

Flash Flood in WEST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:45:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:45:00 (CST-6)
Location: KABUS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

A vehicle crashed into a flooded canal leading to one fatality. One other remains missing.

Flash Flood in ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
From 18-MAY-21 04:50:00 to 18-MAY-21 05:50:00 (CST-6)
Location: NEW ORLEANS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Report of several streets impassable in across portions of New Orleans, mostly in the Uptown Area.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 20:10:00 to 17-MAY-21 21:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: WOODLAWN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Tennyson Drive reported impassable with water starting to approach a couple of homes.

Thunderstorm Wind in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 23:05:00 to 17-MAY-21 23:05:00 (CST-6)
Location: WESTMINSTER
Magnitude: 70.00 EG
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A NWS storm survey found a few large trees roughly snapped near the base and leaning into houses, from east to west. Two more trees with shallow roots were also uprooted. The neighborhood had widespread small limbs down and tree debris. Based on the survey and radar imagery at the time, this seems to be thunderstorm wind damage associated with a decaying mesoscale convective vortex (mcv), or a large area of strong winds. The initial estimate of the wind speed was likely 75-85 mph. Time was estimated based on eye witness reports and radar.

Flash Flood in EAST BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 19:48:00 to 17-MAY-21 20:48:00 (CST-6)
Location: ESSEN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 1.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Report of water entering the WVLA NBC Local 33 studio on Bluebonnet and Highway 427.

Tornado in JEFFERSON, LOUISIANA
From 18-MAY-21 02:16:00 to 18-MAY-21 02:17:00 (CST-6)
Location: KENNER
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A tornado touched down just north of the river and south of the airport in Kenner and took the roof off a large building. It was noted the roof material was severely corroded and rusted. The tornado moved north and convergence in downed trees was seen just to the east of a cemetery. The tornado continued to track north- northeast, with trees down near the railroad tracks and power lines down just north of the tracks, where it looks like the tornado lifted.

Tornado in ST. TAMMANY, LOUISIANA
From 18-MAY-21 01:50:00 to 18-MAY-21 01:55:00 (CST-6)
Location: HOULTONVILLE
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

A storm likely spawned a waterspout near the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and moved onshore as a tornado near Guste Island around 2:50 AM CDT. The tornado tracked to the north-northwest  across mainly uninhabited swamp lands about two miles west of the  Tchefuncte River. Sporadic softwood and hardwood tree damage was noted on the eastern shore of the inlet. Additional damage was  likely but it was inaccessible during the the storm survey. The damage that was viewable from the ground survey indicates an EF-0 tornado with estimated peak winds around 75 mph.
The tornado was also confirmed by KLIX radar data with a tornado debris signature evident as it was crossing the inlet at 2:53 AM CDT. The tornado quickly lifted around 2:55 AM as it approached the northern shore of this inlet.

Thunderstorm Wind in ASCENSION, LOUISIANA
From 17-MAY-21 17:52:00 to 17-MAY-21 17:52:00 (CST-6)
Location: PRAIRIEVILLE
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 1.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Roof peeled off a mobile home in the Dutch Town area off Highway 74. Time estimated from radar.