Alert archive / Louisiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Lake Charles, LA

February 20, 1989Rapides Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at Feb 20, 1989, 7:30 PM CST for Rapides Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 20, 1989, 7:30 PM CST (01:30 UTC)
Expired
Feb 20, 1989, 10:00 PM CST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Rapides Parish, LA

The radar

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

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 136 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 00:00Z on 1989-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1013 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1989-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 230 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
1013 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
618 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
230 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
220 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.2
Supercell composite
6.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 20, 4:01 PM CST, 3 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
400 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM TONIGHT...

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR TYLER...JASPER AND
   NEWTON COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED AND ARE NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

AT 355...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN
NORTHERN NEWTON COUNTY NORTH OF NEWTON NEAR BURKEVILLE MOVING EAST AT
35 MILES AN HOUR.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM NORTH OF JASPER TO
NEAR BUNA.

A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND SHOWERS COVERED NORTHERN JASPER AND NEWTON
COUNTIES...TYLER AND HARDIN COUNTIES...GENERALLY FROM SOUR LAKE TO
COLMESNEIL EASTWARD.  THIS AREA WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HROUR.

CONDITIONS REMAIN FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS INTO THIS
EVENING UNTIL A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA LATER TONIGHT.

DCG
Special weather statement, Feb 20, 4:33 PM CST, 2 hours 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
428 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

...BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS APPROACHING GRANT PARISH
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...VERNON AND BEAUREGARD PARISHES WEST LOUISIANA...

AT 425 PM..A BAND OF NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM JUST
SOUTHWEST OF WINNFIELD LOUISIANA TO NEAR LEESVILLE TO KIRBYVILLE
AND KOUNTZE TEXAS.

THIS BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS CONTINUED FROM ALEXANDRIA
TO JUST WEST AND NORTHWEST OF NATCHEZ MISSISSIPPI WHILE SCATTERED
SHOWERS WERE SHOWN FR0OM FORT POLK AND OAKDALE TO LAKE CHARLES.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Feb 20, 5:35 PM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
528 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

...BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS APPROACHING RAPIDES  PARISH
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND THE ALEXANDRIA AREA...

AT 525 PM..A BAND OF NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS WAS SHOWN
FROM JUST NORTHWEST AND WEST OF ALEXANDRIA ACROSS FORT POLK AND
KIRBYVILLE TEXAS TO NORTHWEST AND WEST OF KOUNTZE TEXAS. THIS BAND
OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

HEAVY RAINS AND VERY GUSTY WINDS WILL AGAIN OCCUR IN RAPIDES AND
LASALLE PARISHES AND THE ALEXANDRIA AREA.

SHOWERS DEVELOPED JUST SOUTH OF BEAUMONT TO SABINE PASS AND JUST WEST
OF VERMILION BAY.
Special weather statement, Feb 20, 6:09 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
609 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM TONIGHT...

AT 555 PM CST...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS NEW...JASPER AND HARDIN COUNTIES.
THE BAND EXTENDED FROM KOUNTZE THROUGH KIRBYVILLE TO BON WEIR AND
ACROSS THE SABINE RIVER INTO WEST CENTRAL LOUSIANA.  THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS BAND WAS PART OF A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS THE
EXTENDED ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND WEST CENTRAL LOUSIANA FROM
HOUSTON TO ALEXANDRIA LOUSIANA.  THE AREA WAS MOVING EAST VERY
SLOWLY.

THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN THE BAND HAVE TRAINED ACROSS THE SAME NARROW
AREA FROM NEAR VOTAW THROUGH FRED...KIRBYVILLE AND BON WEIR.  SMALL
STREAMS...DITCHES AND LOW AREAS OF HIGHWAYS MAY HAVE DEEP WATER IN
THEM SO MOTORIST IN THOSE AREAS SHOULD DRIVE WITH CAUTION.

CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO POINT TO ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER INCIDENTS
THIS EVENING.  LISTEN TO PORT ARTHURS WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
WEATHER BULLETINS.

DCG
Special weather statement, Feb 20, 6:10 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
609 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM TONIGHT...

AT 555 PM CST...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS NEWTON...JASPER AND HARDIN COUNTIES.
THE BAND EXTENDED FROM KOUNTZE THROUGH KIRBYVILLE TO BON WEIR AND
ACROSS THE SABINE RIVER INTO WEST CENTRAL LOUSIANA.  THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS BAND WAS PART OF A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS THE
EXTENDED ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND WEST CENTRAL LOUSIANA FROM
HOUSTON TO ALEXANDRIA LOUSIANA.  THE AREA WAS MOVING EAST VERY
SLOWLY.

THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN THE BAND HAVE TRAINED ACROSS THE SAME NARROW
AREA FROM NEAR VOTAW THROUGH FRED...KIRBYVILLE AND BON WEIR.  SMALL
STREAMS...DITCHES AND LOW AREAS OF HIGHWAYS MAY HAVE DEEP WATER IN
THEM SO MOTORIST IN THOSE AREAS SHOULD DRIVE WITH CAUTION.

CON	DITIONS CONTINUE TO POINT TO ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER INCIDENTS
THIS EVENING.  LISTEN TO PORT ARTHURS WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
WEATHER BULLETINS.

DCG
Special weather statement, Feb 20, 6:37 PM CST, 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
628 PM CST MON FEB 20 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS CONTINUING IN RAPIDES PARISH AND
THE ALEXANDRIA AREA...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS MOVING THROUGH
VERNON AND WEST BEAUREGARD PARISHES OF WEST LOUISIANA...

AT 625 PM...A BAND OF NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS WAS
SHOWN FROM JUST WEST OF NATCHEZ MISSISSIPPI ACROSS ALEXANDRIA...FORT
POLK...LEESVILLE...KIRBYVILLE TEXAS SOUTHWEST TO BEAUMONT.

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS VERNON AND RAPIDES PARISH.
STREET FLOODING...FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND HIGHWAYS...AND
SMALL STREAM FLOODING LIKELY.

THIS BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOWED LITTLE MOVEMENT PAST HOUR.

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Louisiana, 1989Every flash flood warning in 1989

Sources

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