Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 83, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 3, 20004 parishes in Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 3, 2000, 5:51 AM CDT for 4 parishes in Louisiana. It was in force for 54 min. 3 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: Apr 3, 2000, 5:51 AM CDT (10:51 UTC)
Expired: Apr 3, 2000, 6:45 AM CDT
In force: 54 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Whole counties

Counties Acadia Parish, LA, Allen Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Jefferson Davis Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:51 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
Apr 3, 5:52 AM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Jennings, LA
Apr 3, 6:00 AM CDT	Tornado F0	Iota, LA
Apr 3, 6:15 AM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Countywide, 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
Apr 3, 4:45 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 69 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: 656 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 541 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 95 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 251 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.0
Supercell composite: 9.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KLCH 031052
SVRLCH
LAC001-003-039-053-097-031145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
551 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA
  ALLEN PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
  JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
  EVANGELINE PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA
  ACADIA PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA

* UNTIL 645 AM CDT

* AT 535 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ELTON...MOVING EAST AT 35
  MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  EUNICE...MAMOU BY 600 AM CDT
  CHATAIGNIER BY 605 AM CDT
  LAWTELL...VILLE PLATTE BY 610 AM CDT
  OPELOUSAS...WASHINGTON BY 620 AM CDT
  PORT BARRE BY 625 AM CDT
  PALMETTO BY 630 AM CDT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...DESTRUCTIVE
HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM CDT MONDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA.

CALL 337-477-5285 TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE WEATHER SERVICE.

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 Apr 3, 2:43 AM CDT, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 2:43 AM CDT, 3 hours 8 minutes before

SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
243 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

AT 07Z...QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED NEAR A KSHV-KIAH-KVCT
LINE. THE CANADIAN COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM NEAR A KIRK-KTUL-KLBB
LINE. THE CANADIAN COLD FRONT WILL CATCH UP WITH THE STATIONARY
FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND PUSH THROUGH THE ENTIRE FA BY 00Z.
UNTIL THEN WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH SEVERAL MORE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS AS SEVERAL 500MB SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED IN THE
SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT MOVE ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE MAIN 500 MB TROF
MOVING THROUGH OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN CONCERN TODAY WILL BE THE HEAVY
RAIN WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA.
HOWEVER...WILL NOT ISSUE A FFA AT THIS TIME. ANY FLOODING PROBLEMS
THAT OCCUR TODAY CAN BE HANDLED BY URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD
ADVISORIES. THERE WILL ALSO BE ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
THE AREA TODAY AS AIRMASS ACROSS THE AREA REMAINS RATHER UNSTABLE.
THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS.

SKIES WILL CLEAR OUT TONIGHT AS THE 500 MB TROF MOVES EAST OF THE
AREA AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT.

.LCH...NONE
TX...NONE
LA...NONE

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
LCH 76/46/65/43 +000
BPT 74/46/67/43 +000
LFT 77/47/64/42 +200
AEX 71/45/64/39 +000

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 3, 2:52 AM CDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
252 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

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

0253 AM    SOUR LAKE                 TX   .75 INCH HAIL
04/03/00   HARDIN

0254 AM    SILSBEE                   TX   .75 INCH HAIL
04/03/00   HARDIN

0254 AM    KOUNTZE                   TEX   .75 INCH HAIL
04/03/00   HARDIN

FN

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:44 AM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
444 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

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

0329 AM    BON WIER                  TX   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   NEWTON                         TREES DOWN HWY 363
                                          REPORTED BY SHERIFFS DEPT

0329 AM    KIRBYVILLE                TX   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   JASPER                         POWERLINES DOWN

0329 AM    OLD SALEM                 TX   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   NEWTON                         POWERLINES DOWN

0401 AM    HAMSHIRE                  TX   TORNADO
04/03/00   JEFFERSON                      PUBLIC REPORTED TORNADO
                                          NEAR HAMSHIRE.
                                          UNCONFIRMED REPORT OF
                                          PEOPLE MISSING FROM THEIR
                                          HEAVILY DAMAGED
                                          HOME. FIRE DEPARTMENT /
                                          POLICE ENROUTE.

FN

Local storm report, Apr 3, 5:04 AM CDT, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
504 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

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

0430 AM    PORT ACRES                TX   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   JEFFERSON                      60 MPH WINDS AND NICKLE
                                          SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
                                          VINTON POLICE DEPT

Local storm report, Apr 3, 5:07 AM CDT, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
507 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

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

0452 AM    VINTON                    LA   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   CALCASIEU                      60 MPH WINDS AND NICKLE
                                          SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
                                          VINTON POLICE DEPT)

0430 AM    PORT ACRES                LA   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   JEFFERSON                      ROOF BLOWN OFF HOUSE

FN

Local storm report, Apr 3, 5:23 AM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
523 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

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

0430 AM    HAMSHIRE                  TX   TORNADO
04/03/00   JEFFERSON                      MOBILE HOME DESTROYED
                                          POSSIBLE TORNADO

FN

Local storm report, Apr 3, 5:30 AM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
530 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

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

0513 AM    WESTLAKE                  LA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/03/00   CALCASIEU

0515 AM    LAKE CHARLES              LA   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   CALCASIEU                      49 MPH WINDS AND DRIVING
                                          RAIN AT NWS LAKE CHARLES

0537 AM    GRAND LAKE                LA   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   CAMERON                        CARPORT
                                          DESTROYED...REPORTED BY
                                          SHERIFFS DEPT

FN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 2, 7:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Avoyelles	68 min
Apr 2, 7:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jefferson Davis	57 min
Apr 2, 7:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	65 min
Apr 2, 7:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Evangeline	61 min
Apr 2, 8:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	61 min
Apr 2, 10:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard	61 min
Apr 2, 11:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vernon	60 min
Apr 2, 11:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Rapides	64 min
Apr 3, 12:01 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard	59 min
Apr 3, 3:37 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Vernon	68 min
Apr 3, 4:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Calcasieu	60 min
Apr 3, 5:00 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu	60 min
Apr 3, 5:22 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Jefferson Davis	53 min
Apr 3, 5:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	58 min
Apr 3, 5:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	54 min
Apr 3, 6:09 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia	66 min
Apr 3, 6:34 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Lafayette	56 min
Apr 3, 6:38 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Lafayette	67 min
Apr 3, 6:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	56 min
Apr 3, 6:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vermilion	63 min
Apr 3, 7:07 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Martin	68 min
Apr 3, 7:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Iberia, St. Mary	63 min
Apr 3, 10:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu	64 min
Apr 3, 10:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen	64 min
Apr 3, 11:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Evangeline, Rapides	60 min
Apr 3, 11:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard	60 min
Apr 3, 11:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Avoyelles	68 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 2000 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2000

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.