Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Lake Charles, LA

January 19, 1990Grant Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 19, 1990, 10:42 PM CST for Grant Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 48 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 19, 1990, 10:42 PM CST (04:42 UTC)
Expired
Jan 19, 1990, 11:30 PM CST
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Grant 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, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 1990-01-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 962 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 1990-01-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 201 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
962 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
655 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
201 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
218 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
5.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLCH 200444
SVRESF
LAC043-200530-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALEXANDRIA LA
ISSUED BY LAKE CHARLES LA
1042 PM CST FRI JAN 19 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING PARISH...
 
IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA
          ...GRANT
 
RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF ALEXANDRIA.
THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.
 
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.

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, Jan 19, 6:00 PM CST, 4 hours 42 minutes before
LAZ005-006-007-008-011-012-200053

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
553 PM CST FRI JAN 19 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL...AND MOST OF SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA INCLUDING THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF CAMERON AND
VERMILION PARISHES UNTIL 11 PM CST...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR VERNON PARISH IN SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA THROUGH TONIGHT...

AT 530 PM...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SHOWN IN
TEXAS...FROM JUST EAST OF SAN AUGUSTINE...TO THE JASPER AREA...TO NEAR
LAKE LIVINGSTON.

A LARGE AREA OF RAIN MIXED WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH
HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED IN TEXAS FROM THE  LIBERTY AND BEAUMONT AREAS...
TO TO WELL NORTH OF LUFKIN AND MANSFIELD LOUISIANA.
ISOLATED PATCHES OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM BETWEEN
SABINE PASS AND NATCHITOCHES...TO NEAR EUNICE AND ALEXANDRIA.

ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO DETECTED ALONG THE TEXAS
COAST FROM GALVESTON...TO SABINE PASS.

ADDITIONAL RAIN FROM THIS ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY PRODUCE FLOODING OF ROADS
AND LOW LYING AREAS ACROSS VERNON PARISH.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE STARTED TO MOVE INTO THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
DURING THE PAST HOUR.  THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT
HOUR...WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRING WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 6:47 PM CST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
LAZ005-006-007-008-011-012-200150

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
640 PM CST FRI JAN 19 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM FOR CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA INCLUDING THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF
CAMERON AND VERMILION PARISHES...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR VERNON PARISH IN SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA FOR TONIGHT...

AT 630 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SHOWN FROM
THE SOUTH END OF TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF
RAYBURN LAKE IN EAST TEXAS TO JUST SOUTHWEST OF WOODVILLE TEXAS.

RAIN MIXED WITH THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED FROM A LUFKIN TEXAS...MANSFIELD
LOUISIANA...WINNFIELD LOUISIANA...ALEXANDRIA LOUISIANA LINE SOUTH TO NEAR
EUNICE...KINDER...AND DEQUINCY IN LOUISIANA AND TO NEAR BEAUMONT...
LIBERTY...AND LAKE LIVINGSTON IN TEXAS.

ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING OVER THE COASTAL SECTIONS AND IN THE
COASTAL WATERTS FROM HIGH ISLAND TEXAS TO CAMERON.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS VERNON PARISH DURING THE NEXT HOUR
WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 7:23 PM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes before
TXZ048-046-033-200300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
725 PM CST FRI JAN 19 1990

...TORNADO WATCHES CONTINUE FOR PARTS OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 5 EXPIRES AT 11 PM CST TONIGHT.  IT INCLUDES
THE FOLLOWING TEXAS COUNTIES....HARDIN, NEWTON, JASPER, ORANGE,
TYLER, JEFFERSON AND SABINE.

THE TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 4 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR ANGELINA
NACOGDOCHES AND SAN AUGUSTINE COUNTIES.

THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR CHEROKEE, HOUSTON AND
TRINITY COUNTIES TEXAS. THE WEATHER HAS MOVED EAST OF THESE
COUNTIES..

THERE WERE TWO REPORTED TORNADOES ONE WEST AND NORTHWEST OF LUFKIN
AROUND 345PM AND THE OTHER A WATERSPOUT ON LAKE SAM RAYBURN AROUND
6PM CST.

AT 720PM CST THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE ON A LINE FROM WOODVILLE TO
HEMPHILL MOVING NORTHEAST AT NEAR 40 MPH.  OTHER WIDELY
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOTED BETWEEN HOUSTON AND PORT ARTHUR.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 7:43 PM CST, 2 hours 59 minutes before
LAZ005-006-007-008-011-012-200240

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
740 PM CST FRI JAN 19 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM FOR CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA INCLUDING THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF
CAMERON AND VERMILION PARISHES...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR VERNON PARISH IN SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA FOR TONIGHT...

AT 725 PM...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN HAD
DEVELOPED FROM JUST NORTH OF MANY INTO EAST TEXAS TO NEAR JASPER...
WOODVILLE...AND THE NORTH END OF GALVESTON BAY.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OCCURRING 10 MILES
NORTHEAST OF MANY AND 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF ALEXANDRIA.  THESE THUNDER-
STORMS WERE MIXED IN WITH A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT
EXTENDED FROM A LUFKIN TEXAS...MANSFIELD...WINNFIELD...ALEXANDRIA LINE
SOUTH TO NEAR GALVESTON...PORT ARTHUR TEXAS...DEQUINCY...KINDER...AND
OPELOUSAS.

WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE SHOWN NEAR LAKE CHARLES... MIDWAY BETWEEN
LAFAYETTE AND BATON ROUGE...AND IN THE COASTAL WATERS BETWEEN SABINE PASS
AND CAMERON.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF GRANT AND
RAPIDES PARISHES DURING THE NEXT HOUR. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED
BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND VERY
HEAVY RAIN.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 8:46 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
LAZ005-006-007-008-011-012-200340

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
840 PM CST FRI JAN 19 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM FOR CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA INCLUDING THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF
CAMERON AND VERMILION PARISHES...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR VERNON PARISH IN SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA FOR TONIGHT...

AT 825 PM...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS
LOCATED FROM JUST WEST OF NATCHITOCHES ACROSS THE SOUTH END OF TOLEDO
BEND RESERVOIR TO NEAR JASPER TEXAS AND KOUNTZE TEXAS.  THE LINE WAS
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN
PART OF VERNON PARISH BY 900 PM CST.

VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND
POSSIBLY SOME HAIL WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVE INTO
VERNON PARISH.

RADAR ALSO SHOWED LARGE PATCHES OF RAIN AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF EAST TEXAS AND OVER MUCH OF WESTERN AND
CENTRAL LOUISIANA.

THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS OCCURRING FROM A HOUSTON/LUFKIN
TEXAS LINE EAST INTO LOUISIANA TO NEAR WINNFIELD...ALEXANDRIA...AND
EUNICE.

ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING ALONG THE COAST AND IN THE COASTAL WATERS
BETWEEN GALVESTON AND CAMERON.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 9:12 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
TXZ048-046-033-200500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
915PM CST FRI JAN 19 1990

..TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS..

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 5 CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 11PM FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES...JEFFERSON, ORANGE, HARDIN, JASPER, NEWTON,
SABINE AND TYLER.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST WILL EXPIRE AT
MIDNIGHT.

AT 915PM CST RADAR SHOWED A SMALL AREA OF STORONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM
WEST OF WOODVILLE TO KIRBYVILLE THEN NORTHEAST TO TOLEDO BEND DAM
AND INTO LOUISIANA.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. DJ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 19, 8:47 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVernon58 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

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.