Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS New Orleans, LA

May 4, 1989Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana

NWS New Orleans, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 1989, 1:30 PM CDT for Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 60 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, 1:30 PM CDT (18:30 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 1989, 2:30 PM CDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS New Orleans, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Pointe Coupee 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
May 4, 1:30 PM CDTTornado F1Pointe Coupee, 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, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 167 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 1989-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1743 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 12:00Z on 1989-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 135 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBTR 041842
SVRBTR
LAC033-077-041930-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
130 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BATON ROUGE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  230 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING PARISHES...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA
          ...NORTHERN EAST BATON ROUGE...SOUTHEASTERN POINTE COUPEE
 
RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTHEAST OF NEW
ROADS IN SOUTHEAST POINTE COUPEE PARISH...MOVING EAST ABOUT 30 MPH.
 
SOME POWER LINES REPORTED DOWN IN THE NEW ROADS AREA AROUND 130PM.
 
 
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.

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, May 4, 8:44 AM CDT, 4 hours 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
845 AM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

A LINE OF SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM NEAR
ALEXANDRIA...SOUTHWEST TO NEAR LAKE CHARLES.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE TO AVOYELLES...CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA
PARISHES WITHIN THE HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THESE PARISHES CAN EXPECT STRONG GUSTY WIND...VERY HEAVY
RAIN WHICH WILL LIKELY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREA
AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH.
Special weather statement, May 4, 9:58 AM CDT, 3 hours 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
955 AM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4PM FOR PEOPLE IN AVOYELLES...
CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES...

RADAR SHOWED AN ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FERRIDAY LOUISIANA
IN NORTHERN CONCORDIA PARISH MOVING EAST ABOUT 30 MPH.

AN ALMOST SOLID BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN LOUISIANA
WILL BE APPROACHING CATHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES IN THE NEXT FEW
HOURS.

ELSEWHERE...NUMEROUS PATCHES OF RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE
OCCURRING BETWEEN BATON ROUGE...SIMMESPORT AND LAKE CHARLES AND OVER
SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  PEOPLE IN
THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND
CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONJS AND LISTEN FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 4, 10:07 AM CDT, 3 hours 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
955 AM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4PM FOR PEOPLE IN AVOYELLES...
CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES IN EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

RADAR SHOWED AN ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FERRIDAY LOUISIANA
IN NORTHERN CONCORDIA PARISH MOVING EAST ABOUT 30 MPH.

AN ALMOST SOLID BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN LOUISIANA
WILL BE APPROACHING CATHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES IN THE NEXT FEW
HOURS.

ELSEWHERE...NUMEROUS PATCHES OF RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE
OCCURRING BETWEEN BATON ROUGE...SIMMESPORT AND LAKE CHARLES AND OVER
SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WAT[CH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  PEOPLE IN
THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS
AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 4, 11:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
1100 AM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4PM FOR PEOPLE IN
AVOYELLES...CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES IN EAST CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

RADAR SHOWED A SOLID LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR WINNSBORO
EXTENDING WEST TO NEAR WINNFIELD LOUISIANA.  MOVEMENT WAS SOUTH ABOUT
25 MPH.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING TO CATHOULA AND CONCORDIA
PARISHES WITHIN THE HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...AN ALMOST SOLID AREA OF LIGHT RAIN AND SCATTERED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHWEST
TO BETWEEN BATON ROUGE AND LAFAYETTE.  THIS AREA WAS MOVING EAST ABOUT
25 MPH.  SOME FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS ARE POSSIBLE IN
EAST BATON ROUGE AND SURROUNDING PARISHES AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE
THROUGH DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
<
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTO*RMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONIDTIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 4, 11:55 AM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
NOON CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4PM FOR PEOPLE IN
AVOYELLES...CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES IN EAST CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

RADAR SHOWED A SOLID LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN
CONCORDIA AND CATAHOULA PARISHES EXTENDING WEST TO JUST SOUTH OF
WINNFIELD THEN SOUTHWEST TO NEAR FORT POLK LOUISIANA.  MOVEMENT WAS
SOUTH ABOUT 25 MPH.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
THROUGH CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES DURING THE HOUR AND MOVE
TO NORTHERN AVOYELLES PARISH WITHIN THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS.

ELSEWHERE...AN ALMOST SOLID AREA OF LIGHT RAIN AND SCATTERED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM LAFAYETTE TO SIMMESPORT...EAST ACROSS
BATON ROUGE...TO BETWEEN NEW ORLEANS AND MCCOMB MISSISSIPPI.  SOME
FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT
ALL OF EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS PASS THROUGH
TODAY.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONIDTIONS AND LISTEN FnOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 4, 12:59 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
100 PM CDT THU MAY 4 1989

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4PM FOR PEOPLE IN
AVOYELLES...CATAHOULA AND CONCORDIA PARISHES IN EAST CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

RADAR SHOWED A SOLID LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SOUTH
PARTS OF CONCORDIA AND CATAHOULA PARISHES...EXTENDING WEST ACROSS
AVOYELLES PARISH.  MOVEMENT CONTINUED SOUTH ABOUT 30 MPH.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE TO THE NORT PARTS OF ST. LANDRY...
POINTE COUPEE AND WEST FELICIANA PARISHES WITHIN THE HOUR.

ELSEWHERE...AN ALMOST SOLID AREA OF LIGHT RAIN AND SCATTERED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING BETWEEN NEW ORLEANS AND MCCOMB...WEST
ACROSS BATON ROUGE AND SIMMESPORT TO NEAR LAKE CHARLES AND EUNICE.

FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT
EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH TODAY.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONIDTIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS New Orleans, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 1:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXEast Baton Rouge60 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.