A Geographic Information System Based Reanalysis of the 3 December 1978 Bossier City, Louisiana Tornado

At 1:52 am on 3 December 1978 a powerful F4 tornado tore through the city of Bossier City, Louisiana, killing two and injuring hundreds. Shortly after the tornado Dr. Tetsuya (Ted) Fujita perform an aerial survey of the damage. The results of his survey were documented in a research paper which included a detailed analysis of the tornado's track and damage path. A comprehensive Geographic Information System-based reanalysis of this event was generated using the data from the Fujita report, archived radar data, georeferenced census data and eyewitness testimony. Details of the reanalysis process will be described. The reanalysis included superimposing the track of the tornado on a current aerial photograph of Bossier City to show emergency managers and first responders what might occur if a similar tornado were to move through the area today.