NEW ORLEANS - St. Tammany Parish leaders say more than 11,000 people lost power and a "significant" number of trees have been reported down across the parish.
Director of Public Information Ronnie Simpson said there is a growing number of downed trees and limbs caused by the severe weather. Public Works crews are now working to survey the damage and removed down trees were possible.
Homes on at least two streets in the Tallow Creek neighborhood in Covington received heavy wind damage. Parish government is working with faith-based groups to help homeowners in the area get temporary tarps for roof damage.
Neighbors tell Eyewitness News that the storm was so loud that it woke them up. Some said winds sounded like a freight train, and others described it as "angry."
"It was very intense. You could feel the pressure," Michael Marcello said. "You could feel the house shaking. Neighbors lost their windows. You can tell the pressure was pretty intense. Trees that you don't think will ever break look like matchsticks."
Parish leaders are still waiting for confirmation if the damage was caused by a tornado or just heavy winds.
PHOTOS: Thousands without power, 'significant' number of trees down in St. Tammany
Simpson added parish-wide power outages topped 11,000 people at one point in the morning, but crews are working to restore electricity. As of 11 a.m., 2,000 homes are still without power.