A tornado touched down in New Orleans destroying some houses and resulting in nearly 30,000 reported power outages.

The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado tore through a half-mile section of the city’s Tremé district – one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city – Thursday afternoon. A fire department spokesperson told the Times-Picayune that a home in the area underwent a “complete ‘pancake’ collapse”.

(Glenn David Miller/Facebook)

Only a few non-life-threatening injuries were reported.

The tornado struck the city as the 11th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches. The 2005 hurricane was one of the deadliest natural disasters in US history, as more than 1,200 people died in the heavy winds and ensuing flooding.

Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina A woman is carried out of flood waters after being trapped in her home in Orleans parish during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina A U.S. Coast Guard rescue boat carries US Army 82nd Airborne Division soldiers as it searches a flooded street in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina A SUV lies against a house and rubble in Biloxi, Mississippi as Hurricane Katrina hit USA, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina A plea for help appears on the roof of a home flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina People are taken ashore in a boat after being rescued from their homes in high water in the Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina struck in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina An aerial view of the flooding near downtown New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina Houses are seen submerged under water in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina Canal Street, in New Orleans, during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 Getty Images Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina Debris from Hurricane Katrina piles up along a bridge in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina Firefighters inspect damage left by Hurricane Katrina, in Biloxi, Mississippi, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina The Kids Quest (C) building sits in the middle of the route 90 next to the Grand Casino (L) 30 August 2005 in Gulfport, Mississippi, both damaged from the high wind and waves Hurricane Katrina, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina The most costly hurricane in history caused damages of $85bn. The category-3 storm formed over the Bahamas crossed Florida and the Gulf of Mexico before striking New Orleans AP Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina evacuees sit on their bed, on the floor of the Astrodome stadium in Houston, Texas, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina People search for their belongings among debris washed up on the beach in Biloxi, Mississppi, after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina Parishioner Chloe Guice Wise (R) hugs Mark Washburn at the conclusion of services at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (shown in background) which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, in Biloxi, Mississippi, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina Stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina are taken ashore by Air Force National Guard soldiers in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina Fishing boats lay in a pile after Hurricane Katrina passed through in Empire, Louisiana, 2005 Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina U.S. Navy flight deck personnel take part in an emergency replenishment working party aboard the dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46), as they load water into an MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter in support of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts in the Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina A patriotic display can be seen in the ruins of a home in Waveland, Mississippi. Scenes like these dot the landscapes where homes once stood. Rescue and clean up efforts continued in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina three weeks after the deadly storm hit Hurricane Katrina - in pictures Hurricane Katrina A makeshift grave is seen for a woman on a downtown street in New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005

On Thursday, utility crews worked through the evening, responding to reports of downed power lines. Firefighters performed search and rescue operations through the six homes that were either damaged or destroyed. Only two victims emerged.

Onlookers captured staggering images of the storm and posted them to social media.

The Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University forecasts 10 named storms, including hurricanes, for the remainder of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season – which runs from 1 June through 30 November – a “near-average” prediction.