Wind gusts so strong that they prompted a severe-weather alert have already swept a train off a bridge in New Orleans.
As southeastern Louisiana braced for 55-mile-per-hour winds and the National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning alert, photos appeared on Twitter showing several train cars lying in the rain-soaked grass next to Huey P. Long Bridge, which crosses the Mississippi River.
Train cars down at Huey Long Bridge, via Roger Fernandez. @wdsu @MargaretOrr @NWSNewOrleans pic.twitter.com/XELddmWydc
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker6) April 27, 2015
From Chris Roberts: train fell off of tracks on the Huey Long Bridge. #4wwl pic.twitter.com/Apb2D50gNy
— Paul Murphy (@PMurphyWWL) April 27, 2015
Train fell off tracks on Huey P. Long Bridge- Matthew Hinton pic.twitter.com/QABAemWsbS
— New Orleans Advocate (@theadvocateno) April 27, 2015
@MargaretOrr I think that these train cars fell from the tracks that run along the Huey P Long. pic.twitter.com/stcHFcH2yf
— #bourbonfriday (@MICROPCLA) April 27, 2015
The NWS issued its alert for the New Orleans area at approximately 11:19 a.m. local time and said the warning was in effect for up to three hours.
“A wake low has developed bringing damaging wind gusts over portions of Southeast Louisiana,” the weather service announced, referring to a region of low atmospheric pressure that frequently creates severe weather. “Already [there are] numerous gusts near 50 to 55mph with Trees Coming Down.”
Update 4:29pm CT, April 27: Here’s some terrifying footage of the accident. So far, no injuries have been reported.
Photo via New Orleans Advocate/Twitter
