The increasingly conducive environment prompted the SPC to issue a tornado watch across southern Louisiana and Mississippi, valid from 7:55 a.m. CST (13:55 UTC) to 2:00 p.m. CST (21:00 UTC); forecasters assessed a 50% chance of two or more tornadoes in the watch box, but only a 20% chance of one or more strong (EF2+) tornadoes. Confirmed tornadoes February 7 event New Orleans East–Lake Borgne, Louisiana The tornado initially touched down along Old Gentilly Road to the east of the New Orleans Industrial Canal. EF0 damage was noted at the beginning of the path as homes sustained minor roof damage. EF1 damage occurred near Wilson Avenue as a two-story motel had much of its poorly attached roof uplifted and sustained buckling of exterior walls on the second floor. The tornado moved northeastward, attaining high-end EF2 intensity by the time it reached the Chef Menteur Highway. Metal power poles were bent, wooden power poles were snapped, a business was severely damaged, and an apartment complex sustained significant roof damage and collapse of a brick fascia exterior wall in this area. Damage surveys indicate that as the tornado continued on this northeastward track, it became multiple-vortex in structure, with a second circulation north of the first taking over as the predominant one. This second vortex, as the tornado did when it originally touched down, moved in a northeastward direction and produced EF2 damage near the Flake Street/Grant Avenue intersection. A small, poorly constructed home along Flake Street was rolled off of its cinder block foundation and completely destroyed, while nearby homes sustained shingle and porch damage. East of Crowder Boulevard, a continuous swath of mainly EF2 damage was noted as the now large and destructive tornado moved through residential areas, severely damaging numerous homes, many of which had their roofs ripped off. A few of these homes sustained some failure of exterior walls. Vehicles in this area were flipped and damaged, some of which were tossed into homes. On Arthur Drive and Charlene Drive, a small pocket of EF3 damage was noted as two homes lost most of their exterior walls, and had one or two of their interior walls collapse due to winds estimated by the NWS to have been around . Along Grant Street, Schaumburg Elementary School sustained minor roof damage and broken windows as it was impacted by the outer edge of the circulation. Children inside the school took