Alert archive / Louisiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998
Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Lake Charles, LA
NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at Jan 6, 1998, 10:17 AM CST for Evangeline Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 118 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jan 6, 1998, 10:17 AM CST (16:17 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 6, 1998, 12:15 PM CST
- In force
- 118 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lake Charles, LA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Evangeline Parish, LA
The radar
The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:18 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
The nearest sounding before it
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 102 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 903 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 208 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 264 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KLCH 061619 FFWLCH LAC039-061815- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 1017 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES LA HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA ...EVANGELINE PARISH AT 1012 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO MOVE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH OVER EVANGELINE PARISH. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES OF UP TO TWO INCHES OF PRECIPITATION HAVE ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS THE AREA OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS. AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO TWO INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS AND LOVW-LYING AREAS RAPIDLY...SO DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLES INTO AREAS WHERE WATER OF AN UNKNOWN DEPTH COVERS THE ROAD. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS...ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jan 6, 9:39 AM CST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 9:39 AM CST, 38 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS..SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 939 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998 HEAVY RAIN IS CURRENTLY FOCUSED OVR SE TX AND NRN PTNS OF CNTRL LA. NO NEED TO MESS W/ CURRENT FCSTS AS ENTIRE FA SHUD SEE HVY RAIN TDA AND FFA STILL LOOKS GOOD. 8
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 6, 4:35 AM CST, 5 hours 42 minutes before
LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-062100- HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 435 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998 THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND FOR SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA. DUE TO THE ALREADY SATURATED GROUNDS AND SWOLLEN RIVERS... CREEKS...AND DITCHES FROM THE RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED AREAS. THE INGREDIENTS COMING TOGETHER FOR THE HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT INCLUDE A VERY MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS...AN ACTIVE UPPER LEVEL JET...AND A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM EAST TEXAS. WINDS AT BOTH THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL BE FROM THE SOUTH ALLOWING THUNDERSTORMS TO TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREA FOR SEVERAL HOURS CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. FURTHER COMPLICATING THE SITUATION ARE THE ALREADY SATURATED GROUNDS FROM THE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING RAINFALL EVENT WHICH PRODUCED SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL OCCURRED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA WHERE 4 TO 7 INCHES WAS REPORTED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS AND DOPPLER RADAR. THIS CAUSED THE VERMILION RIVER IN LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA TO RISE TO ABOVE FLOOD STAGE RESULTING IN THE FLOODING OF SOME HOMES...WHILE ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS OCCURRED DUE TO RAPID RAINFALL RUNOFF. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF UP TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE. SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THOSE RESIDENTS ALONG THE VERMILION RIVER WHERE THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS FLOODING EXISTS SHOULD HEAVY RAINS ONCE AGAIN DEVELOP. THERE IS ALSO A THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE FOR UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 6, 4:35 AM CST, 5 hours 42 minutes before
LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-062100- HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 435 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998 THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND FOR SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA. DUE TO THE ALREADY SATURATED GROUNDS AND SWOLLEN RIVERS... CREEKS...AND DITCHES FROM THE RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED AREAS. THE INGREDIENTS COMING TOGETHER FOR THE HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT INCLUDE A VERY MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS...AN ACTIVE UPPER LEVEL JET...AND A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM EAST TEXAS. WINDS AT BOTH THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL BE FROM THE SOUTH ALLOWING THUNDERSTORMS TO TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREA FOR SEVERAL HOURS CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. FURTHER COMPLICATING THE SITUATION ARE THE ALREADY SATURATED GROUNDS FROM THE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING RAINFALL EVENT WHICH PRODUCED SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL OCCURRED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA WHERE 4 TO 7 INCHES WAS REPORTED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS AND DOPPLER RADAR. THIS CAUSED THE VERMILION RIVER IN LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA TO RISE TO ABOVE FLOOD STAGE RESULTING IN THE FLOODING OF SOME HOMES...WHILE ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS OCCURRED DUE TO RAPID RAINFALL RUNOFF. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF UP TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE. SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THOSE RESIDENTS ALONG THE VERMILION RIVER WHERE THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS FLOODING EXISTS SHOULD HEAVY RAINS ONCE AGAIN DEVELOP. THERE IS ALSO A THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE FOR UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Local storm report, Jan 6, 7:20 AM CST, 2 hours 57 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
720 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
654 AM ANACOCO LA 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/06/98 VERNONThe office that day
Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 6, 6:44 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Vernon | 61 min |
| Jan 6, 12:35 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides, Saint Landry | 2 hr |
| Jan 6, 12:35 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Beauregard, Vernon | 2 hr |
| Jan 6, 12:35 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Allen | 2 hr |
| Jan 6, 3:00 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Acadia, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Lafayette, Saint Landry | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 3:00 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Jefferson Davis, Vermilion | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 3:00 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Allen, Beauregard, Rapides, Vernon | 3 hr |
| Jan 6, 3:40 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Calcasieu | 2 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Louisiana, 1998Every flash flood warning in 1998
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.