Alert archive / Texas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Lake Charles, LA

January 6, 1998Hardin County, Jefferson County, Texas

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at Jan 6, 1998, 10:30 AM CST for Hardin County, Jefferson County, Texas. It was in force for 110 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, 10:30 AM CST (16:30 UTC)
Expired
Jan 6, 1998, 12:20 PM CST
In force
110 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Hardin County, TX, Jefferson County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 4.5 hours before the alert went out and 103 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 1998-01-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 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 1998-01-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 208 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLCH 061633
FFWLCH
TXC199-245-061820-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1030 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES LA HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1220 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS

   ...HARDIN COUNTY
   ...NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY

AT 1025 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS DROPPING HEAVY RAINFALL...MOVING FROM
NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY INTO HARDIN COUNTY. RADAR INDICATES UP TO
2 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS BETWEEN
NOME AND BEAUMONT IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.

REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED OF WATER COVERING THE ROADWAY ON HIGHWAY
105 BETWEEN LUMBERTON AND BEAUMONT.

AS MUCH AS 2 MORE INCHES OF RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED IN HARDIN
COUNTY AS THE MASS OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVES SLOWLY NORTH...CAUSING
FLOODING PROBLEMS THERE.

ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN JEFFERSON
COUNTY WILL PROVIDE UP TO ANOTHER INCH OF RAIN...CAUSING FURTHER
FLOODING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY. REMEMBER...MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN
AUTOMOBILES.

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, 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 9:39 AM CST, 51 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 55 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 55 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, 3 hours 10 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   VERNON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 6, 5:16 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJasper29 min
Jan 6, 12:35 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin, Jasper, Tyler2 hr
Jan 6, 12:35 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHNewton2 hr
Jan 6, 3:00 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHHardin, Jasper, Newton, Tyler3 hr
Jan 6, 4:48 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHJefferson, Orange2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Texas, 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.