Tornado strikes Ville Platte and Evangeline Parish May 19, 2019 Early Sunday, a thunderstorm came through Ville Platte and Evangeline Parish bringing a tornado or tornado force winds causing major damage to trees, power lines and poles, homes and businesses. The storm caused the most damage in the immediate Ville Platte area causing large trees and power poles to snap or fall over. Billboards, sheds, gasoline pump canopys were torn apart. A part of Main street near Evangeline Bank was closed for most of the day Sunday. Most homes and businesses were without electricity. At the height of the power failure, Cleco recorded some 6000 customers, half of all customers who were without electricity in the state were located in Evangeline Parish. That power failure had dropped to 2500 by 6:00pm. Cleco was due to continue working until 10:00pm. Ville Platte Mayor Mayor Jennifer Vidrine, after consultation with emergency officials declared a state of emergency and a curfew until 7:00am Monday. She urged residents to stay off the streets because of the danger of live power lines down in many of the city streets. Extra police and law enforcement officials will be on patrol during the curfew hours. There were reports of major damage in the Lanse Meg area where a home was blown off its blocks on to a highway. Also damage in the Tate Cove area and Point Blue area. KVPI had no power at the studios on LaSalle and at the transmitter so KVPI FM 92.5 remained on emergency generator power throughout the day until power was restored late Sunday afternoon. KVPI AM was off the air all day after some electronic equipment was damaged by a lightning strike. KVPI AM is back on the air. It was reported by Mayor Jennifer that there will be no school in Ville Platte Monday. However city hall will be open for those needing any assistance. You are invited to listen to KVPI La Tasse de Café where we will have Meteorologist Marty Mayeaux with the National Weather Service office in Shreveport. Mayoeaux, former resident of Ville Platte, will share with our listeners radar information about the weather system that struck our area Sunday morning. KVPI listeners are invited to call us Monday to report if your office or business will be closed. We will glad to report the closures as a public service.