Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 1998
Tornado Warning 12, NWS Lake Charles, LA
NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Feb 10, 1998, 5:59 PM CST for Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 36 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
- Feb 10, 1998, 5:59 PM CST (23:59 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 10, 1998, 6:35 PM CST
- In force
- 36 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lake Charles, LA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Saint Landry Parish, LA
The radar
The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:00 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, 6:00 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Barre, 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 |
| Feb 10, 4:45 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 126 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KLCH 102359 TORLCH LAC097-110035- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 559 PM CST TUE FEB 10 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES LA HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 635 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA ...ST. LANDRY PARISH AT 556 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO NEAR CANKTON. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THE TOWNS OF GRAND COTEAU AND LEONVILLE ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. AVOID WINDOWS AND DOORS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A STURDIER BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
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.
NWS Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Feb 10, 2:19 PM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 2:19 PM CST, 3 hours 40 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, 1 hour 34 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.
ERICKSONLocal storm report, Feb 10, 4:25 PM CST, 1 hour 34 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.
ERICKSONSpecial weather statement, Feb 10, 5:15 PM CST, 44 minutes before
LAZ027-028-030-031-041-042-051-110015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 515 PM CST TUE FEB 10 1998 ...TORNADO WATCH CANCELLED FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA... TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING LOUISIANA PARISHES IN SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA...ALLEN...BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU... CAMERON...JEFFERSON DAVIS...RAPIDES AND VERNON. THE SEVERE SQUALL LINE THAT PUSHED THROUGH THE AREA EARLIER TODAY HAS SHIFTED EAST. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH WERE RECEIEVED. A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED THIS EVENING...OTHERWISE CLOUDS WILL DECREASE FROM THE WEST.
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 5:15 PM CST, 44 minutes before
LAZ027-028-030-031-041-042-051-110015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 515 PM CST TUE FEB 10 1998 ...TORNADO WATCH CANCELLED FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA... TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING LOUISIANA PARISHES IN SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA...ALLEN...BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU... CAMERON...JEFFERSON DAVIS...RAPIDES AND VERNON. THE SEVERE SQUALL LINE THAT PUSHED THROUGH THE AREA EARLIER TODAY HAS SHIFTED EAST. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH WERE RECEIEVED. A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED THIS EVENING...OTHERWISE CLOUDS WILL DECREASE FROM THE WEST.
Local storm report, Feb 10, 5:50 PM CST, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
550 PM CST TUE FEB 10 1998
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
200 PM MAURICEVILLE TX WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98 ORANGE TREES BLOWN DOWN.
300 PM ORANGE TX 1.00 INCH HAIL
02/10/98 ORANGE
300 PM HACKBERRY LA WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98 CAMERON TREES DOWN NORTH OF TOWN.
445 PM GRAND CHENIER LA TORNADO
02/10/98 CAMERON POSSIBLE TORNADO. 8 POLES
KNOCKED DOWN...5 MOBILE
HOMES DESTROYED...1 HOME
DAMAGED.
330 PM 7 S SULPHUR LA WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98 CALCASIEU TREES DOWN ON HOMES.
330 PM MITTIE LA WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98 ALLEN TREES BLOWN DOWN.
430 PM OBERLIN LA WIND DAMAGE
02/10/98 ALLEN TREES BLOWN DOWN.
ERICKSONThe 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 | Avoyelles, Saint Landry | 59 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 |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 1998Every tornado warning in 1998Tornadoes 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.