Stats
Path length: 16.8 miles
Width: 317 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 11
Rating: F3
County: Rapides, Grant
Tornado Path
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SPC coordinates: Start: 31.30 / -92.47 End: 31.53 / -92.40 Corrected
Coordinates based on damage reports:
Start: 31.247355/-92.452223 End: 31.551595/-92.375118
Veer in path: 31.403413/-92.428813
Note: Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.
Summary
One tornado is listed in the SPC database for January 6, 1951. It tracked through parts of Rapides and Grant Parishes in Louisiana. The Storm Prediction Center has a rating of F3. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes believes the damage was closer to F2 status.
This twister moved almost due north from just south of Alexandria, through the downtown area to near Pineville, north of Tioga, north of Ball and NE of Pollock. The Climatological Data National Summary states the tornado developed along a squall line. Per Grazulis, buildings that had been hit by a tornado in 1923 were hit once again by this one in Downtown Alexandria.
20+ homes were destroyed in the Alexandria/Pineville area with 50 more damaged. Several garages and roofs were blown away and four homes were shifted.
There is a discrepancy in the injury count. 20 reported by Grazulis, remaining sources have 11 injuries.
Discrepancies:
We gathered information for this event from the SPC & NCDC Databases, the January 1950 Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS) and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:
Path Length:
- SPC/NCDC have a 16.8 mile path.
- CDNS & Grazulis have a length of 15 miles.
Width:
- SPC/NCDC have a width of 317 yards.
- CDNS has a width of 300 yards.
- Grazulis lists a width of 150 yards.
Rating:
- SPC/NCDC have a rating of F3.
- Grazulis lists a rating of F2.
Time:
- Grazulis has a start time of 1720.
- Remaining sources list a start time of 1730.
Injury Count:
- Grazulis lists 20 injuries.
- Remaining sources have 11 injuries.
Sources:
January 1951 Climatological Data National Summary
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. Page 957
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