Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 17, 2002Cameron Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 2002, 9:39 AM CDT for Cameron Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 66 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 2002, 9:39 AM CDT (14:39 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2002, 10:45 AM CDT
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Cameron Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 24 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:42 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 24 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 2002-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1518 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 2002-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1518 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-50 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
802 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
127 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KLCH 171439
SVRLCH
LAC023-171545-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
940 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CAMERON PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA

* UNTIL 1045 AM CDT

* AT 936 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CAMERON PARISH...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CAMERON BY 1030 AM CDT
  HACKBERRY BY 1040 AM CDT

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

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

LAT...LON 3003 9371 2978 9369 2976 9270 3002 9272

$$
K. KUYPER

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 May 17, 9:25 AM CDT, 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 9:25 AM CDT, 14 minutes before
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
925 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

LINE OF TSTMS MOVG THRU SE TX AND EXTENDS OFFSHORE. MRNG SOUNDING
INDCG HIGH CAPES ALTHOUGH AT THIS TIME HELICITY REMAINS LOW. PRECIP
IS NOW 1.83 INCHES. THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE THRU SW LA OVR THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS MOVG TO THE EAST AROUND 25 MPH.

IN ADDITION A FRONTAL SYS IS MOVG RAPIDLY TO THE SOUTHEAST AND WILL
MOVE INTO SRN LA BY THIS AFTN. WILL UPDATE ZONES TO REFLECT THESE
CHANGES.

.LCH...NONE.

.PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
AEX 83/60/76/52/76/49  960000
BPT 82/69/79/58/77/55  962000
LCH 83/68/78/57/77/55  962000
LFT 84/69/78/58/77/55  962000

K. KUYPER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 17, 4:06 AM CDT, 5 hours 33 minutes before
LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-171500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
406 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

...RAINS POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS THE REGION...

MUCH NEEDED RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT
ADVANCES AND MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. SINCE THE LAST SIGNIFICANT RAIN
EVENT ON THE 8TH OF APRIL...MUCH OF THE AREA HAS RECEIVED LESS THAN
ONE-HALF INCH OF RAINFALL. THIS COMBINED WITH BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION EARLIER IN THE YEAR HAS RESULTED IN MILD TO MODERATE
DROUGHT CONDITIONS.

AN AVERAGE OF 1/2 TO 1 INCH OF RAIN IS EXPECTED...BUT AS IS THE CASE
WITH SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...SOME AREAS WILL RECEIVE MORE
AND OTHERS LESS. ADDITIONALLY...A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE
WITH A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE AND FAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL
SUPPORT.

RAINS WILL END WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT LATER TONIGHT. DRY AND
UNSEASONABLY COOL HIGH PRESSURE WILL FOLLOW FOR THE WEEKEND.
Local storm report, May 17, 4:36 AM CDT, 5 hours 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES,LA
436 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0433 AM    SEA RIM STATE PARK        TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/02   JEFFERSON                      POWERLINES DOWN AT SEA RIM
                                          STATE PARK. BUILDINGS
                                          RATTLED ACCORDING TO
                                          PERSONNEL. NO ELECTRICITY.

FN
Local storm report, May 17, 4:38 AM CDT, 5 hours 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES,LA
438 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0433 AM    SEA RIM STATE PARK        TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/02   JEFFERSON                      POWERLINES DOWN AT SEA RIM
                                          STATE PARK. BUILDINGS
                                          RATTLED ACCORDING TO
                                          PERSONNEL. NO ELECTRICITY.

FN
Local storm report, May 17, 9:36 AM CDT, 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES,LA
436 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0433 AM    SEA RIM STATE PARK        TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/02   JEFFERSON                      POWERLINES DOWN AT SEA RIM
                                          STATE PARK. BUILDINGS
                                          RATTLED ACCORDING TO
                                          PERSONNEL. NO ELECTRICITY.

FN
Local storm report, May 17, 9:38 AM CDT, 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES,LA
938 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

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

0933 AM    SEA RIM STATE PARK        TX   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/02   JEFFERSON                      POWERLINES DOWN AT SEA RIM
                                          STATE PARK. BUILDINGS
                                          RATTLED ACCORDING TO
                                          PERSONNEL. NO ELECTRICITY.

FN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 8:10 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH65 min
May 17, 9:12 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH63 min
May 17, 10:15 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH60 min
May 17, 10:15 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH60 min
May 17, 10:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCalcasieu52 min
May 17, 11:15 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH60 min
May 17, 11:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVermilion64 min
May 17, 11:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHIberia59 min
May 17, 12:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHSt. Mary67 min
May 17, 3:42 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH63 min
May 17, 3:42 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH63 min
May 17, 4:50 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH55 min
May 17, 4:50 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.