Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 73, NWS New Orleans, LA

December 3, 1990Washington Parish, Louisiana

NWS New Orleans, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 3, 1990, 5:18 AM CST for Washington Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 57 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
Dec 3, 1990, 5:18 AM CST (11:18 UTC)
Expired
Dec 3, 1990, 6:15 AM CST
In force
57 min
Issued by
NWS New Orleans, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Washington 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
Dec 3, 5:30 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Washington, 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

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 75 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 1990-12-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 20 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 1990-12-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 130 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
20 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-117 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
847 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
130 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
155 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KNEW 031119
SVRNEW
LAC117-031215-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
518 AM CST MON DEC 3 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW ORLEANS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 AM CST
FOR RESIDENTS IN THE FOLLOWING PARISHES
 
IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
 
   ...WASHINGTON PARISH
 
AT 515 AM SLIDELL RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERTORMS OVER
WASHINGTON PARISH JUST EAST OF FRANKLINTON. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
 
 
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, Dec 3, 1:44 AM CST, 3 hours 34 minutes before
LAZ010-012-013-014-030850-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
145 AM CST MON DEC 3 1990

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED BETWEEN
VERMILLION AND ATCHAFALAYA BAYS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
CONTINUE TO PRODUCE PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

IN ADDITION THESE THUNDERSTORMS AREA CAPABLE OF PRODUCING MORE HEAVY
RAINFALL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WIND...AND THE POSSIBILITY
OF SMALL HAIL. MARINE INTERESTS ALONG INLAND LAKES AND COASTAL WATERS
ARE ADVISED TO KEEP ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER.

MOTORISTS IN THE METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS AREA ARE ADVISED TO KEEP
ALERT FOR FLOODING OF STREETS AND OVERPASSES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE
THROUGH HIGH WATER.

THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS OCCURRING IN THUNDERSTORMS CLUSTERS
SOUTHWEST OF THIBODAUX...AND BETWEEN HOUMA AND WEST LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

THIS ACTIVITY WAS EMBEDDED IN A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT RAIN THAT COVERED
MOST OF EASTERN LOUISIANA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Local storm report, Dec 3, 2:09 AM CST, 3 hours 9 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
205 AM CDT MON DEC 2 1990

1215AM CST  SCHRIEVER...TERREBONE PARISH. TWO MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED BY
            THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS. REPORT FROM TERREBONE PARISH
            SHERIFFS OFFICE.
Special weather statement, Dec 3, 2:21 AM CST, 2 hours 57 minutes before
LAZ006-008-009-030730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
220 AM CST MON DEC 3 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE  MOVING ACROSS MOST OF EAST CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...

RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM
HOUMA...MORGAN CITY AND LAFAYETTE NORTHWARD ACROSS BATON ROUGE...DENHAM
SPRINGS AND OPELOUSAS CONTINUING TO NEAR ALEXANDRIA...NATCHEZ MS AND
MC COMB MS.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH.

AS THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA...THEY WILL PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME
SMALL HAIL.  THE HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS...UNDERPASSES
AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS.  MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION
AND NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED ROADWAYS.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY
CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC.
.
THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAUSED BY A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT IS ENTERING
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA THIS MORNING AND WILL MOVE THROUGH THE BATON ROUGE
AREA SOMETIME AFTER NOON TODAY.
Special weather statement, Dec 3, 2:45 AM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes before
LAZ010-012-013-014-030950-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
245 AM CST MON DEC 3 1990

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED TO DEVELOP
NORTHEAST OF ATCHAFALAYA BAY AND MOVE NORTHEASTWARD TOWARDS NEW ORLEANS.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST NEAR 25 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
CONTINUE TO PRODUCE PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

THE AREA BETWEEN MORGAN CITY...WATERPROOF...AND THIBODAUX CONTINUES TO
BE ESPECIALLY HARD HIT. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA HAS DUMPED
COPIUS AMOUNTY OF RAINFALL...AND LOCAL FLOODING IS BECOMING A PROBLEM.
PUBLIC REPORTS ARE INDICATING WATER IN HOMES NEAR SCHRIEVER AND IN
NORTHERN LAFOURCHE PARISH. RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH
ON RISING BAYOUS AND WATERWAYS.

IN ADDITION THESE THUNDERSTORMS AREA CAPABLE OF PRODUCING MORE HEAVY
RAINFALL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WIND...AND THE POSSIBILITY
OF SMALL HAIL. MARINE INTEREST ALONG INLAND LAKES AND COASTAL WATERS
ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND ROUGH SEAS.

MOTORISTS ACROSS THE AREA ARE ADVISED TO KEEP ALERT FOR FLOODING OF
STREETS...HIGHWAYS...AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH
HIGH WATER.

THIS ACTIVITY WAS EMBEDDED IN A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT RAIN THAT COVERED
MOST OF EASTERN LOUISIANA AND MUCH OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. MOVEMENT WAS
NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Dec 3, 3:26 AM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
LAZ006-008-009-030730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
330 AM CST MON DEC 3 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS EXTENDING EAST
AND SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM NEAR LAKE CHARLES NORTHEAST TO ALEXANDRIA
CONTINUING TO NEAR VICKSBURG MS.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARDS
THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

AS THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA...THEY WILL PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME
SMALL HAIL.  THE HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS...UNDERPASSES
AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS.  MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION
AND NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED ROADWAYS.  FLOODING IS OCCURRING ACROSS PARTS
OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND MAY OCCUR FOR BRIEF PERIODS OVER PARTS OF
EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA.
.
THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE BEING PRODUCED BY A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT JUST
MOVED THROUGH SHREVEPORT DURING THE PAST HOUR.  THIS COLD FRONT WILL
MOVE THROUGH THE BATON ROUGE AREA NEAR NOON TODAY ENDING MOST OF THE
RAIN.
Special weather statement, Dec 3, 5:16 AM CST, 2 minutes before
LAZ006-008-009-030730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BATON ROUGE LA
515 AM CST MON DEC 3 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM SOUTHWEST OF
DONALDSONVILLE NORTHEAST TO NEAR AMITE.  ALSO FROM THE COAST SOUTH OF
LAFAYETTE NORTHEAST TO NORTH OF MC COMB MS. AND SOUTHWEST THROUGH NORTH-
WEST OF ALEXANDRIA.  THE AREA WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

AS THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA...THEY WILL PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SOME
SMALL HAIL.  THE HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS...UNDERPASSES
AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS.  MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION
AND NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED ROADWAYS.  SOME FLOODING HAS OCCURRED OVER
PARTS OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND COULD OCCUR FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME
OVER PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA.
.
THE THUNDERSzTORMS ARE BEING PRODUCED BY A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT IS JUST
NORTHWEST OF ALEXANDRIA AT THE PRESENT TIME.  THIS COLD FRONT WILL MOVE
THROUGH THE BATON ROUGE AREA BY NOON TODAY ENDING MOST OF THE RAIN.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 3, 2:22 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningLIXLafourche, Terrebonne3 hr
Dec 3, 2:22 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningLIXSaint Charles3 hr
Dec 3, 4:24 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXOrleans, Saint Tammany66 min
Dec 3, 6:32 AM CSTTornado WarningLIXLafourche, Saint Charles58 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.