Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 17, 1989Newton County, Texas

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at May 17, 1989, 10:43 PM CDT for Newton County, Texas. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 1989, 10:43 PM CDT (03:43 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1989, 1:45 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Newton County, TX

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, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 91 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 1989-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1462 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 1989-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 206 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
1462 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-21 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
740 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
206 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.3
Supercell composite
15.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBPT 180344 RRA
FFWBPT
TXC351-180645-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
1043 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORT ARTHUR HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  145 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
          ...NEWTON
 
AT 1045 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS IN NORTHERN NEWTON COTO NEAR HOUSTON. VERY HEAVY RAINS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH FLOODING ALSO REPORTED IN TYLER COUNTY.
 
RAINFALLS OF TWO TO FOUR INCHES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OFV FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
NNNN

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, May 17, 7:25 PM CDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
TTAAOO KESF 180025
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALEXANDRIA LA
725 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR RAPIDES...GRANT AND LASALLE
PARISHES OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL 11PM TONIGHT...

AT 720 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED NO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THESE PARISHES...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE PARISHES AND WILL BE WATCHED
CLOSELY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND MOVEMENT...

PERSONS IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY
OF SEVERE WEATHER LATER TONIGHT IN THE WATCH AREA AND BE PREPARED TO
TAKE NECESSARY ACTION IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.
Special weather statement, May 17, 7:37 PM CDT, 3 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
740 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY FOR
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EXCEPT FOR
CAMERON AND VERMILLION PARISHES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR VERNON PARISH
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

AT 726 PM CDT... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS
FROM WEST OF HOUSTON TO OVER LAKE LIVINGSTON TO LUFKIN AND RAYBURN LAKE
NORTHEAST TO CENTRAL TOLEDO BEND TO NORTHEAST OF WINNFIELD.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT NEAR 30 MPH.

ELSEWHERE A LARGE PATCH OF RAIN WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MIXED IN
WAS TO THE NORTHEAST OF A HOUSTON...KIRBYVILLE...NATCHITOCHES LINE.
Special weather statement, May 17, 8:41 PM CDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
835 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY FOR
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EXCEPT FOR
CAMERON AND VERMILLION PARISHES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR VERNON PARISH
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

AT 827 PM CDT... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS
FROM NORTHWEST OF HOUSTON NORTHEASTWARD TO NORTHEAST OF NATCHITOCHES IN
NORTH LOUISIANA. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING HAS OCCURRED IN THE LUFKIN AREA.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT NEAR 30 MPH.

A GOOD PART OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOME OF NORTH LOUISIANA TO THE NORTHEAST
OF A FREEPORT...HOUSTON...LEESVILLE...JENA LINE WAS BEING AFFECTED BY
THIS LARGE MASS OF RAIN WITH THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER MUCH
THE SAME AREAS AS EARLIER IN THE DAY..SO BE ON THE WATCH FOR FLOODING TO
OCCUR MAINLY IN PARTS OF oSOUTHEAST TEXAS.
Special weather statement, May 17, 9:43 PM CDT, 1 hour before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
945 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY FOR
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EXCEPT FOR
CAMERON AND VERMILLION PARISHES...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR VERNON PARISH
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

AT 931 PM CDT...HEAVY RAINFALL AND WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE SHOWN FROM SOUTHWEST OF HOUSTON TO CONROE TO EAST OF LUFKIN THEN
NORTHEAST OVER TOLEDO BEND TO NORTH OF WINNFIELD.

LITTLE MOVEMENT WAS SHOWN AS REGENERATION WAS TAKING PLACE.

IN SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA ONLY LIGHT RAIN WAS OCCURRING IN
NORTHWEST VERNON AND BEAUREGARDE PARISHES AND IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA IN
GRANT AND NORTHERN LASALLE PARISHES.
Special weather statement, May 17, 10:10 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
TTAAOO KESF 180310
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALEXANDRIA LA
1010 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR RAPIDES...GRANT AND LASALLE
PARISHES OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL 400AM THIS THURSDAY
MORNING...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF NORTHERN AND WEST CENTRAL
LOUISIANA INCLUDING RAPIDES...GRANT AND LASALLE PARISHES
FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT...

AT 1010 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED NO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THESE PARISHES...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE PARISHES AND WERE PRODUCING
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE STRONG WINDS AND HAIL.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY
OF SEVERE WEATHER LATER TONIGHT IN THE WATCH AREA AND BE PREPARED TO
TAKE NECESSARY ACTION IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.
Special weather statement, May 17, 10:33 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1035 PM CDT WED MAY 17 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CDT THIS THURSDAY FOR
CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EXCEPT FOR
ACADIA...VERMILLION...AND LAFAYETTE PARISHES...
...A FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR VERNON...ALLEN...
BEAUREGARD PARISHES...AND ALL OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA PARISHES.

AT 1031 PM CDT...HEAVY RAINFALL AND WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE SHOWN FROM SOUTHWEST OF HOUSTON TO LIBERTY TO OVER RAYBURN AND
TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIRS TO NORTH OF WINNFIELD.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT NEAR 20 MPH.

IN SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA ONLY LIGHT RAIN WAS OCCURRING IN
NORTHWEST VERNON AND BEAUREGARDE PARISHES AND IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA IN
GRANT AND NORTHERN LASALLE PARISHES AT THE PRESENT TIME.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 8:07 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHAngelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine2 hr
May 17, 10:12 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin, Jasper, Tyler3 hr
May 17, 10:12 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHNacogdoches3 hr
May 17, 10:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHHardin66 min
May 18, 1:29 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHNewton2 hr
May 18, 1:29 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin, Jasper2 hr
May 18, 6:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Newton, Orange5 hr
May 18, 6:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHTyler5 hr
May 18, 11:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin2 hr
May 18, 12:07 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHJasper, Newton2 hr
May 18, 12:22 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHOrange2 hr
May 18, 1:23 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin2 hr
May 18, 2:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJasper, Newton57 min
May 18, 2:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHTyler57 min
May 18, 2:09 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHJasper, Newton2 hr
May 18, 3:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin3 hr
May 18, 4:21 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHNewton3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 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.