Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2001

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 132, NWS Lake Charles, LA

October 13, 2001Jefferson County, Orange County, Texas

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 13, 2001, 4:50 AM CDT for Jefferson County, Orange County, Texas. It was in force for 55 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Oct 13, 2001, 4:50 AM CDT (09:50 UTC)
Expired
Oct 13, 2001, 5:45 AM CDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Jefferson County, TX, Orange County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Oct 13, 4:55 AM CDTTornado F1Beaumont, TX
Oct 13, 5:00 AM CDTThunderstorm WindCountywide, TX
Oct 13, 5:10 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52 MBeaumont, TX

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Oct 13, 12:30 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr
Oct 13, 4:00 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 88 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 00:00Z on 2001-10-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2537 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2001-10-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 70 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
2537 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
640 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
70 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
6.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

377 
WUUS54 KLCH 130951
SVRLCH
TXC245-361-131045-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
450 AM CDT SAT OCT 13 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  ORANGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 545 AM CDT

* AT 447 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF BEAUMONT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  20 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  BEAUMONT BY 455 AM CDT
  ROSE CITY...CENTRAL GARDENS BY 500 AM CDT
  NEDERLAND BY 505 AM CDT
  VIDOR...PORT NECHES...GROVES BY 510 AM CDT
  BRIDGE CITY BY 515 AM CDT

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

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS 
CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

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

LAT...LON 3010 9435 2975 9427 2995 9379 3024 9377

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 Oct 13, 3:12 AM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 13, 3:12 AM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
230 AM CDT SAT OCT 13 2001

...SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOOD EVENT POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA
TODAY...

CURRENTLY SQUALL LINE CROSSING I-45 IN THE HOUSTON AREA. PROJECTIONS
WOULD HAVE THIS LINE ENTERING THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST
AREA (HARDIN AND TYLER COUNTIES) CLOSE TO 3 AM. SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THIS LINE. STRONG COLD FRONT
LOCATED IN CENTRAL TEXAS WITH DEWPOINTS DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 40S
AND 30S ACROSS WESTERN TEXAS.

FORECAST AREA SHOULD BE UNDER THE GUN TODAY AS INGREDIENTS ARE
THERE FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
FLOODING. COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD TOWARD THE
FORECAST AREA. AHEAD OF THE FRONT TROPICAL AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL
BE IN PLACE AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES CLOSE TO 2 INCHES WHICH IS
ABOUT 180 PERCENT OF NORMAL ALONG WITH CAPES OF OVER 3000 J/KG.
ALSO...JET COUPLING BETWEEN SUBTROPICAL AND POLAR WILL PROVIDE
STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE. MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG STRAIGHT
LINE WINDS...HOWEVER COULD SEE SOME BRIEF TORNADIC ACTIVITY WITH ANY
CELL MERGERS WITH STORMS AHEAD OF THE LINE AND AT THE BOOKENDS OF
THE SQUALL LINE.

WITH THE DEEP TROPICAL AIRMASS IN PLACE...POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY
RAINFALL WITH THIS ACTIVITY IS LIKELY. 1 TO 3 INCHES LOOKS LIKE A
GOOD BET WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. FFG NUMBERS RANGE FROM 1 1/2 TO
2 INCHES FOR 1 HOUR TO 3 INCHES FOR 6 HOURS. THEREFORE WILL EXTEND
FLOOD WATCH TO COVER ENTIRE FORECAST AREA.

SOME CLEARING MAY TAKE PLACE IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS BY THE END OF THE
FIRST PERIOD AND ACROSS LOUISIANA DURING THE EVENING PERIOD AS 70H
TROF PASSES ACROSS THE AREA.

AS FOR TEMPS...EXPECT A COOL DOWN AS LOWER DEWPOINTS ADVECT IN BEHIND
THE FRONT DURING THE EVENING HOURS.

QUICK LOOK AT THE REST OF THE WEEK...DRY WITH MODERATING
TEMPERATURES.

.LCH...FLOOD WATCH ENTIRE CWA.
       SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HIGH ISLAND TO ATCHAFALAYA RIVER.

.PRELIM NUMBERS...
AEX 75/55/76/48/76/50 +30000
BPT 78/56/77/54/78/58 +00000
LCH 80/56/77/53/77/57 +20000
LFT 82/58/77/52/77/54 +30000

...ADDED SCA TO WWA LINE...
7-RUA/LGE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 13, 12:57 AM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
1257 AM CDT SAT OCT 13 2001

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

1100 PM    PINEVILLE                 LA   WIND DAMAGE
10/13/01   RAPIDES                        RAPIDES 911 REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN FROM HINESTON TO
                                          PINEVILLE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 12, 7:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJasper52 min
Oct 13, 3:23 AM CDTTornado WarningLCHTyler22 min
Oct 13, 4:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHHardin, Jasper, Newton53 min
Oct 13, 4:55 AM CDTTornado WarningLCHJasper35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2001Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2001

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.