Tornadoes damage airports in Louisiana and South Carolina

Two More U.S. Airports Suffer Tornado Damage

As storms swept through the South on Easter Sunday, tornadoes touched down at two regional airports, causing damage to hangars and aircraft.

Four business jets are entombed in the wreckage of a 10,000 sq ft hangar at Louisiana's Monroe Regional Airport, after a spate of tornadoes wreaked havoc across several southern states on Easter Sunday. (Photo: Acadian Ambulance/Air Med)

By Curt Epstein • Business Aviation Services Editor

April 13, 2020

On April 12, two more U.S. regional airports were struck by tornadoes, making this the third such occurrence in the past several weeks. As scores of tornadoes ripped through the south from Central Texas through the Carolinas, causing several dozen deaths and millions in property damage, Monroe Regional Airport (MLU), in the northeastern part of Louisiana, and Lowcountry Regional Airport (RBW) in Walterboro, South Carolina, had tornadoes touch down.

At the Avflight FBO—the lone service provider at MLU—the tornado destroyed a 10,000-sq-ft hangar, trapping four Cessna Citations in the wreckage. The nearby FBO terminal on the north side of the airport was undamaged, as were the remaining 80,000 sq ft of aircraft storage, the commercial terminal, tower, and fuel tank farms. Power was quickly restored, and according to airport director Ron Phillips, the airport reopened on Monday afternoon.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

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