Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Lake Charles, LA

February 15, 1987Acadia Parish, Evangeline Parish, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 15, 1987, 8:42 AM CST for Acadia Parish, Evangeline Parish, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 33 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Feb 15, 1987, 8:42 AM CST (14:42 UTC)
Expired
Feb 15, 1987, 9:15 AM CST
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Acadia Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Vermilion Parish, LA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Feb 15, 9:00 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Acadia, LA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 81 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 1987-02-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 1987-02-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -3 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
699 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
76 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KLCH 151443
SVRLCH
LAC001-039-113-151515-

BULLETIN...IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
842 AM CST SUN FEB 15 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 AM CST FOR THE FOLLOWING PARISHES OF

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...ACADIA...EVANGELINE...VERMILION.

AT 915 AM...RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...FROM
NORTHWEST OF VILLE PLATTE TO NEAR CROWLEY...AND OVER SOUTHERN
VERMILION PARISH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS
AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES..YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE
IMMEDIATELY AND YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAW ENFORECEMENT AGENCY
TO RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 15, 4:42 AM CST, 4 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
445 AM CST SUN FEB 15 1987

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 8AM CST.

AT 435AM CST RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG STORMS FROM SAM RAYBURN..
WOODVILLE..SILSBEE TO HIGH ISLAND.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING INTO
BEAUMONT FROM THE WEST.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 TO
40 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS LINE OF STORMS HAS PRODUCED SOME GUSTY WINDS EARLIER THIS
MORNING.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 4:55 AM CST, 3 hours 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
455 AM CST SUN FEB 15 1987

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8AM CST FOR MUCH OF
SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

AT 430 AM...A LINE OF NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN...WAS SHOWN IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM 15 MILES EAST OF LUFKIN TO
20 MILES WEST OF BEAUMONT TO JUST NORTH OF GALVESTON.  THE LINE WAS
MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

RADAR ALSO SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN MIXED WITH THUNDERSTORMS
FROM THE COAST BETWEEN FREEPORT TEXAS AND SABINE PASS TO NORTH OF
LUFKIN TEXAS...AND TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SHOWN IN EAST TEXAS
BETWEEN BEAUMONT AND JASPER.

SCATTERED PATCHES OF RAIN CONTINUED IN LOUISIANA FROM THE COASTAL
WATERS SOUTH OF CAMERON NORTH ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN LOUISIANA TO NEAR
MANSFIELD AND WINNFIELD.

MOVEMENT OF THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 6:07 AM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
605 AM CST SUN FEB 15 1987

THE TORNADO WATCH WILL EXPIRE AT 630AM CST.

AT 605AM CST RADAR SHOWED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS LAKE SABINE
AND ORANGE AND EXTENDING NORTHWARD ALONG THE SABINE RIVER.  THE
STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

NUMEROUS STORMS CONTINUE OFFSHORE WITHIN 50 MILES OF THE COASTLINE.
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL CONTdINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

THERE HAS BEEN NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE WIND DAMAGE IN
FANNETT TEXAS.
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 6:54 AM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
645 AM CST SUN FEB 15 1987

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 NOON TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
PARISHES IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...ACADIA...ALLEN...BEAUREGARD...
CALCASIEU...CAMERON...EVANGELINE...JEFFERSON DAVIS...LAFAYETTE...
VERMILION...AND THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF CAMERON AND VERMILION
PARISHES.

...THE TORNADO WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR VERNON PARISH IN
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA OR FOR GRANT AND RAPIDES PARISHES IN CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

...A SPECIAL MARINE WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM CST FOR THE
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA COASTAL WATERS FROM SABINE PASS TO VERMILION BAY...

AT 635 AM...NUMEROUS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...
WERE SHOWN FROM NEAR LEESVILLE TO THE LAKE CHARLES AND JENNINGS AREAS
TO THE COAST FROM SABINE PASS TO WHITE LAKE.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

RAIN CONTINUED TO COVER MOST OF EAST TEXAS AND THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS
OF LOUISIANA.  THE RAIN WAS SHOWN FROM A LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA LINE
INTO TEXAS TO NEAR HOUSTON...LUFKIN...AND SAN AUGUSTINE.

IN THE GULF...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OCCURRING
IN THE COASTAL WATERS SOUTH OF SABINE PASS...CAMERON...AND HIGH ISLAND
TEXAS.  AN ALMOST SOLID AREA OF RAIN EXTENDED FROM THE COAST TO 70
MILES OFFSHORE FROM FREEPORT TEXAS TO VERMILION BAY.
`
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
Local storm report, Feb 15, 8:36 AM CST, 6 minutes before
SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
  1425   CST SUN FEB 15 1987

 0634 AM CST      CONFIRMED TORNADO
                  1 MILE S SULPHUR, WESTERN CALCASIEU PARISH
                  AT ROSEMONT TRAILER PARK ON CARLYSS ROAD..
                  MOBILE HOMES BADLY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED..
                  1 FATALITY AN ELDERLY WOMAN.

                  LA HWY 27S..MARINER WITH MANY BOATS AND MOTORS
                  DAMAGED AND STREWN ABOUT.

                  REPORT CALLED IN BY CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFFS
                  DEPT. AT 0634 TORNADO APPARENTLY OCCURRED
                  SHORTLY BEFORE THIS TIME..ALSO REPORTED BY
                  STATE POLICE TROOP D

                  REPORTS RECD BY WSO LAKE CHARLES AT 0700 CST.
NNNN
Local storm report, Feb 15, 8:40 AM CST, 2 minutes before
SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
  1425   CST SUN FEB 15 1987

 0634 AM CST      CONFIRMED TORNADO
                  1 MILE S SULPHUR, WESTERN CALCASIEU PARISH
                  AT ROSEMONT TRAILER PARK ON CARLYSS ROAD..
                  MOBILE HOMES BADLY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED..
                  1 FATALITY AN ELDERLY WOMAN.

                  LA HWY 27S..MARINER WITH MANY BOATS AND MOTORS
                  DAMAGED AND STREWN ABOUT.

                  REPORT CALLED IN BY CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFFS
                  DEPT. AT 0634 TORNADO APPARENTLY OCCURRED
                  SHORTLY BEFORE THIS TIME..ALSO REPORTED BY
                  STATE POLICE TROOP D

                  REPORTS RECD BY WSO LAKE CHARLES AT 0700 CST.
NNNN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 15, 5:30 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHBeauregard, Vernon60 min
Feb 15, 5:30 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCalcasieu, Cameron60 min
Feb 15, 7:10 AM CSTTornado WarningLCHCalcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis50 min
Feb 15, 7:40 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia, Vermilion50 min
Feb 15, 7:40 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHEvangeline50 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.