Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 21, NWS Lake Charles, LA
NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 1989, 3:38 PM CDT for Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 67 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
- May 4, 1989, 3:38 PM CDT (20:38 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 1989, 4:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 67 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lake Charles, LA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Calcasieu Parish, LA, Cameron Parish, LA, Jefferson Davis 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 4:15 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 55 | Calcasieu, 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, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 7 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1743 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -11 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 559 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 45 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 135 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 331 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.5
- Supercell composite
- 8.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KLCH 042039
SVRLCH
LAC019-023-053-042145-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
338 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING PARISHES...
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
...CALCASIEU...CAMERON...JEFFERSON DAVIS
AT 335 PM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO
THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF CALCASIEU PARISH. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
NWhat 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, May 4, 1:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 130 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM FOR MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA...INCLUDING VERNON PARISH...WEST LOUISIANA... AT 125 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE LOCATED JUST WEST OF BATON ROUGE AND ACROSS LEESVILLE TO FORT POLK. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS MIXED IN WIDESPREAD RAIN NOW COVERED MUCH OF CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL...WEST LOUISIANA...AND EAST TEXAS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN BANDS FROM NEAR NATCHEZ MISSISSIPPI TO JUST SOUTH OF ALEXANDRIA ACROSS FORT POLK AND LEESVILLE TO RAYBURN LAKE AND NEAR AND SOUTHWEST OF LUFKIN. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE ALSO INDICATED WEST OF BATON ROUGE TO LAFAYETTE AND DERIDDER TO JUST NORTH OF BEAUMONT. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 4, 1:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALEXANDRIA LA 135PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL 400PM THIS AFTERNOON INCLUDING GRANT ... RAPIDES AND LASALLE PARISHES... AT 135PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL LOUISIANA WITH THUNDERSTORMS OCCURING AT ALEXANDRIA ...PINEVILLE VICINITY THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AS THEY MOVE SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR... THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING FOR RAPIDES PARISH HAS NOW MOVED SOUTHEAST OF THE PARISH... PERSONS IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND TAKE PROMPT ACTION IN THE EVENT SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD OCCUR AND REMAIN INSIDE DURING PERIODS OF DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, May 4, 1:57 PM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALEXANDRIA LA 155PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL 700PM THIS EVENING INCLUDING GRANT ... RAPIDES AND LASALLE PARISHES... AT 155PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL LOUISIANA WITH THUNDERSTORMS OCCURING AT ALEXANDRIA ...PINEVILLE VICINITY THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AS THEY MOVE SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR... THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING FOR RAPIDES PARISH HAS NOW MOVED SOUTHEAST OF THE PARISH... PERSONS IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND TAKE PROMPT ACTION IN THE EVENT SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD OCCUR AND REMAIN INSIDE DURING PERIODS OF DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, May 4, 2:39 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 233 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM FOR CENTRAL... SOUTHWEST...SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS... AT 225 PM...A LINE OF NUMEROUS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS HAD DEVELOPED ACROSS THE CENTRAL PART OF LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM NEAR AND NORTH OF BATON ROUGE WEST TO VILLE PLATTE... OAKDALE...DERIDDER...INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS JUST SOUTH OF HUNTSVILLE. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL PRODUCE VERY GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINS CAPABLE OF BRIEF STREET FLOODING ALONG WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAFIL IN BEAUREGARD...ALLEN ...EVANGELINE...PARISHES TO 330PM.
Special weather statement, May 4, 2:42 PM CDT, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX 240PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 ..STRONG STORMS MOVING TOWARD THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE.. AT 240PM CDT A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED NORTH OF BEAUMONT AND ORANGE. THE STORMS WERE ALONG THE NORTHERN COUNTY LINE OF HARDIN COUNTY TO KIRBYVILLE TO NEAR NEWTON. THE LINE WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 30 MPH. IF THE PRESENT MOTION CONTINUES THE STORMS WILL ENTER BEAUMONT AROUND 4PM. GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 7PM CDT FOR MOST OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS. SO FAR THIS AFTERNOON NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED ACROSS EAST TEXAS. DJ5K
Special weather statement, May 4, 3:37 PM CDT, 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALEXANDRIA LA 335PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989 TORNADO WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR RAPIDES...GRANT AND LASALLE PARISHES OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA... AT 335PM CDT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS LINGERED OVER THE PARISHES HOWEVER THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE WELL OUT OF THE AREA.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 12:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Rapides | 60 min |
| May 4, 2:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Allen, Beauregard | 64 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 1989Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.