Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 1995
Tornado Warning 31, NWS Lake Charles, LA
NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at May 8, 1995, 9:18 AM CDT for Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 57 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 8, 1995, 9:18 AM CDT (14:18 UTC)
- Expired
- May 8, 1995, 10:15 AM CDT
- In force
- 57 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lake Charles, LA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Calcasieu Parish, LA
The nearest sounding before it
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 19 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
- 1937 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -15 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 601 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 265 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 366 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.8
- Supercell composite
- 14.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KLCH 081421 TORLCH LAC019-081515- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 918 AM CDT MON MAY 8 1995 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ...CALCASIEU PARISH AT 917 AM...RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO JUST 8 MILES EAST VIDOR TEXAS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. THE TOWN OF VINTON IS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS... OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 8, 4:39 AM CDT, 4 hours 39 minutes before
TXZ165-201-181-511-215-182-152-216-167-166-180-081545- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX 439 AM CDT MON MAY 8 1995 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MONDAY MORNING... ...A FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGHOUT TODAY... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST TEXAS THROUGHOUT TODAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 AM CDT THIS MONDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS...JEFFERSON...ORANGE...HARDIN...TYLER ...JASPER...NEWTON...ANGELINA...NACOGDOCHES...SAN AUGUSTINE...AND SABINE COUNTIES. AT 435 AM CDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM SHREVEPORT TO LUFKIN TO HUNTSVILLE TO BREHMAN TO AUSTIN. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST 30 TO 40 MPH. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT. BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF WEATHER BEGINS TO THREATEN. SEEK SHELTER AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAYS. STAY TUNED TO NOA.A WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. NNNN
Special weather statement, May 8, 4:51 AM CDT, 4 hours 27 minutes before
LAZ027-030>032-041>044-051-052-081050- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 450 AM CDT MON MAY 8 1995 ...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM FOR GRANT LA SALLE AND RAPIDES PARISHES OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA VERNON ALLEN BEAUREGARD JEFFERSON DAVIS CALCASIEU CAMERON PARISHES INCLUDING THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF CAMERON PARISH... AT 450 AM...THE LAKE CHARLES RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR SHREVEPORT LOUISIANA EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS WEST OF HOUSTON. THIS LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES TO DEVELOP IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCDH AREA. RESIDENTS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV OR LOCAL RADIO ON THIS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, May 8, 4:53 AM CDT, 4 hours 25 minutes before
LAZ027-030>032-041>044-051-052-081050- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 450 AM CDT MON MAY 8 1995 ...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM FOR GRANT LA SALLE AND RAPIDES PARISHES OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA VERNON ALLEN BEAUREGARD JEFFERSON DAVIS CALCASIEU CAMERON PARISHES INCLUDING THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF CAMERON PARISH... AT 450 AM...THE LAKE CHARLES RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...FROM NEAR SHREVEPORT LOUISIANA EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS WEST OF HOUSTON. THIS LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES TO DEVELOP IN AJND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. RESIDENTS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV OR LOCAL RADIO ON THIS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, May 8, 6:29 AM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
TXZ165-201-181-511-215-182-152-216-167-166-180-081530- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX 630 AM CDT MON MAY 8 1995 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS... AND THE EAST TEXAS LAKES AREA... ...A FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGHOUT TODAY... AT 625 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM LOCATED FROM THE TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR TO JASPER TO WOODVILLE TO HOUSTON TO VICTORIA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST 20 TO 30 MPH. PERSONS IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITER THE WEATHER THROUGHOUT THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON AS A SERIES OF SQUALLS ADVANCE AHEAD OF A STRONG DRY-LINE FRONT. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED ROADWAYS IN YOUR VEHICLE. IF THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPS SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. PERSONS IN LOW-LYING AREAS SHOULD CHECK PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS IN THE EVENT OF QUICKLY RISING WATERS. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHR SERVICE. NNNN
Special weather statement, May 8, 8:06 AM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
LAZ027-030>032-041>044-051-052-081400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 805 AM CDT MON MAY 8 1995 ...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM FOR GRANT...LA SALLE... AND RAPIDES PARISHES IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND FOR VERNON...ALLEN... BEAUREGARD...JEFFERSON DAVIS...CALCASIEU...AND CAMERON PARISHES IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA... AT 755 AM...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN FROM NEAR LEESVILLE TO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BEAUREGARD PARISH. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 9:57 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | LCH | Allen, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis | 63 min |
| May 8, 10:14 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | LCH | Calcasieu, Cameron | 61 min |
| May 8, 10:57 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Allen, Evangeline | 63 min |
| May 8, 12:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Acadia | 69 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 1995Every tornado warning in 1995Tornadoes in 1995
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.