Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 55, NWS Lake Charles, LA

February 10, 1998Avoyelles Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 10, 1998, 4:41 PM CST for Avoyelles Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 59 min. 2 reports 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: Feb 10, 1998, 4:41 PM CST (22:41 UTC)
Expired: Feb 10, 1998, 5:40 PM CST
In force: 59 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Whole counties

Counties Avoyelles Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA

The radar

The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:43 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Feb 10, 5:00 PM CST	Thunderstorm Wind	Marksville, LA
Feb 10, 5:30 PM CST	Thunderstorm Wind	Washington, 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Feb 10, 1:00 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 140 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 380 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -57 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 709 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 125 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 182 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLCH 102241 RRA
SVRLCH
LAC001-009-097-102340-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
441 PM CST TUE FEB 10 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES LA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 540 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA

   ...ACADIA PARISH

IN EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA

   ...AVOYELLES PARISH

IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA

   ...ST. LANDRY PARISH

AT 436 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
SEVERE THUNDESTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF BUNKIE
TO MAMOU TO NEAR JENNINGS. MOVMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH.
THE CITIES OF MERMENTAU...CROWLEY..RAYNE...MARKSVILLE...AND
OPELOUSAS ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS. WIND GUSTS OF 60 MPH CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.




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. IF A TORNADO APPROACHES YOUR
AREA...REMAIN CALM...MOVE TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS...SUCH AS A BATHROOM OR CLOSET.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS WITH BLANKETS OR PILLOWS.

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.

NWS Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Feb 10, 2:19 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 2:19 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before

SOUTHEAST TEXAS..SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
219 PM CST TUE FEB 10 1998

THINGS ARE REALLY JUMPING AROUND HERE THIS AFTERNOON. SFC
LOW HAS BECOME ORGANIZED ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON
WITH ATTENDANT EXTENDING FROM NEAR LFK TO NEAR HOU.
COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO OUT OF THE FA BY 03Z WITH THE SFC
LOW MOVING NORTHEAST INTO AR. WOULD EXPECT SHRA AND TSRA
ACTIVITY TO END SHORTLY AFTER FROPA AND AS DRY SLOT OF
VIGOROUS 5H S/W MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. THINGS WILL
DRY OUT WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AS UPPER FLOW BECOMES SOMEWHAT
ZONAL AND HIGH PRESSURE TAKES CONTROL AT THE SFC.

LCH 47/64/42/63 6(EARLY)000
LFT 48/63/41/63 6(BEFORE
 MID)000
AEX 46/60/40/62 6(BEFORE MID)000
BPT 47/65/43/65 6(EARLY)000

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 10, 4:25 PM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
425 PM CST TUE FEB 10 1998

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

130 PM     CHESTER                   TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   TYLER                          WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF TREES
                                          DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY...
                                          INCLUDING HILLISTER AND
                                          SPURGER.

140 PM     SILSBEE                   TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   HARDIN                         REPORT OF CARS OVERTURNED
                                          IN PARKING LOT. ALSO REPORT
                                          OF 79 MPH WIND IN SOUR LAKE
                                          AT 143 PM.

210 PM     NEWTON                    TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   NEWTON                         TREES BLOWN DOWN NORTH OF
                                          NEWTON ON HIGHWAY 87N

230 PM     TOLDEO BEND               TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   NEWTON                         WIND GUSTS TO 62 MPH...TREES
                                          AND POWER LINES DOWN

227 PM     BUNA                      TX   TORNADO
02/10/98   JASPER                         UNOFFICIAL REPORT OF TORNADO.
                                          NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY 62.

230 PM     PORT ARTHUR               TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   JEFFERSON                      ROOF BLOWN OFF RESTAURANT

240 PM     PORT ARTHUR               TX   66 MPH WIND GUST
02/10/98   JEFFERSON

250 PM     LEESVILLE                 LA   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   VERNON                         REPORTS OF NUMEROUS TREES
                                          AND POWER LINES DOWN...
                                          INCLUDING ROSEPINE AND
                                          PICKERING AREAS.

320 PM     SULPHUR                   LA   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   CALCASIEU                      TREES BLOWN DOWN. ALSO 0.75
                                          INCH HAIL IN MOSS BLUFF.

ERICKSON

Local storm report, Feb 10, 4:25 PM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
425 PM CST TUE FEB 10 1998

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

130 PM     CHESTER                   TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   TYLER                          WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF TREES
                                          DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY...
                                          INCLUDING HILLISTER AND
                                          SPURGER.

140 PM     SILSBEE                   TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   HARDIN                         REPORT OF CARS OVERTURNED
                                          IN PARKING LOT. ALSO REPORT
                                          OF 79 MPH WIND IN SOUR LAKE
                                          AT 143 PM.

210 PM     NEWTON                    TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   NEWTON                         TREES BLOWN DOWN NORTH OF
                                          NEWTON ON HIGHWAY 87N

230 PM     TOLDEO BEND               TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   NEWTON                         WIND GUSTS TO 62 MPH...TREES
                                          AND POWER LINES DOWN

227 PM     BUNA                      TX   TORNADO
02/10/98   JASPER                         UNOFFICIAL REPORT OF TORNADO.
                                          NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY 62.

230 PM     PORT ARTHUR               TX   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   JEFFERSON                      ROOF BLOWN OFF RESTAURANT

240 PM     PORT ARTHUR               TX   66 MPH WIND GUST
02/10/98   JEFFERSON

250 PM     LEESVILLE                 LA   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   VERNON                         REPORTS OF NUMEROUS TREES
                                          AND POWER LINES DOWN...
                                          INCLUDING ROSEPINE AND
                                          PICKERING AREAS.

320 PM     SULPHUR                   LA   WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98   CALCASIEU                      TREES BLOWN DOWN. ALSO 0.75
                                          INCH HAIL IN MOSS BLUFF.

ERICKSON

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 10, 2:24 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu, Vernon	61 min
Feb 10, 2:24 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	61 min
Feb 10, 2:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Vernon	66 min
Feb 10, 3:06 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Rapides	64 min
Feb 10, 3:25 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron	60 min
Feb 10, 3:55 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jefferson Davis	45 min
Feb 10, 4:11 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Evangeline, Rapides	39 min
Feb 10, 4:30 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	45 min
Feb 10, 4:41 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia	59 min
Feb 10, 5:10 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vermilion	60 min
Feb 10, 5:24 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Lafayette	46 min
Feb 10, 5:42 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Saint Landry	33 min
Feb 10, 5:59 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 1998 Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.