1938 Rodessa, Louisiana tornado

1938 Rodessa, Louisiana tornado

Front page of the Shreveport Times the morning after the tornado struck.
Meteorological history
Formed	February 17, 1938, 9:45 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00)
F4 tornado
on the Fujita scale
Overall effects
Fatalities	21 ±1-2 fatalities, 24+ injured
Damage	Uknown
Areas affected	Rodessa, Louisiana and parts of Caddo Parish.

The Rodessa, Louisiana tornado hit Rodessa on February 17, 1938. Believed to be one of the ten earliest calendar year tornados in Louisiana history, the F4 left an estimated 21 people dead and upwards of 24 people injured.

Event description

The rural location of the event has left a lot of the facts up for speculation. Despite this, it is believed that the tornado formed in the northern portion of Caddo Parish or possibly Miller County, Arkansas around 9:40 pm. The tornado moved south before changing direction and striking the town from the east at 9:45 pm. The tornado destroyed the entire southeastern portion of the town or what was once known as "Supply House Row", knocking over power lines and leaving an estimated 200 yard path of decimation in its wake. It is stated that the tornado only lasted two minutes, but was followed by heavy rains that would impede the search for victims amongst the rubble. Only one tornado was confirmed. Despite the damage to power lines, the telephone lines were fully operational and residents began phoning nearby villages for assistance.

Aftermath

Immediately following the event, residents began carrying the injured to nearby settlements such as Vivian for medical care. By 10:30 pm 16 medical staff were sent from the Charity Hospital in Shreveport. By 2:00 am on February 18th, the power was restored. It is thought around this time that then Governor of Louisiana Richard W. Leche was informed of the situation in Baton Rouge. He was known to have said to the Shreveport Times "That was an awful thing―a terrible disaster. Anything the state can do to help the people up there, we will be glad to do". At 2:45 am, twenty national guardsmen were sent to assist with patrol work in conjuction with local and state police.

Later into the morning and the subsequent days the true destruction of the tornado was revealed. Multiple homes and businesses were flattened, with one car being picked up and thrown on top of the wreckage. A doctor from Vivian named Edgar Galloway said that some of the dead were so disfigured that identification would be difficult. It is thought that the final death toll was 21 ±1-2 people with the number of injuries being less certain. The Shreveport Times claims that the injury count following the event was 24, while other sources state that the number was as high as 60. These numbers were likely worsened by the weak infrastructure of the town as it was observed that the pieces of sheet metal that made up many homes played a roll in much of the disfigurments.