Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 75, NWS Lake Charles, LA

August 15, 2002Cameron Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 15, 2002, 10:51 AM CDT for Cameron Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 54 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
Aug 15, 2002, 10:51 AM CDT (15:51 UTC)
Expired
Aug 15, 2002, 11:45 AM CDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Cameron Parish, LA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 15, 10:55 AM CDTThunderstorm WindCameron, 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 nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 30 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 2002-08-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 248 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2002-08-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
248 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
765 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
88 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.

785 
WUUS54 KLCH 151551
SVRLCH
LAC023-151645-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1049 AM CDT THU AUG 15 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 1145 AM CDT

* AT 1044 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR CREOLE AND CAMERON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT  
  30 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  GRAND CHENIER 1110 AM CDT
  HACKBERRY BY 1115 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.

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 Aug 15, 9:59 AM CDT, 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 15, 9:59 AM CDT, 52 minutes before
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
959 AM CDT THU AUG 15 2002

IR SATELLITE SHOWING MCS OFF UPPER TX AND W LA COAST WITH CONTINUOUS
DEVELOPEMENT AND COOLING CLOUD TOPS IN STRONGLY DIFLUENT UPPER
LEVEL FLOW. UPDATED ZONES WITH FLOOD WATCH FOR LWR SE TX AND SW LA.
PRECEDING RAINFALL...WITH EXPECTED ADDITIONAL RAINFALL SHOULD PUT
THESE AREAS OVER FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES OF AROUND 4 INCHES.

SATELITE PRECIP ESTIMATES AND SPENES GUIDANCE INDICATE NEW
DEVELOPMENT POISED TO MOVE INTO CAMERON PARISH NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.
RUNOFF AFTER RAINS ABATE WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE FLOODING PROBLEMS IN
THIS AREA WITH SLOW DRAINAGE NEAR THE COAST. SPS AND MWS ISSUED ON
RAINFALL AND COASTAL OVERWASH AS STRONG ONSHORE WINDS PUT TIDES AT
CAMERON UP TO 3.7 FEET AT HIGH TIDE. WILL LEAVE CURRENT UPDATED ZONES
ALONE. NO CHANGE ON PREVIOUS NUMBERS.

.UPDATED NUMBERS...
    TH    FR    SA SU  T F S S
BPT 85 76/88 76/90 76  935242
LCH 85 75/88 75/90 75  935242
LFT 87 74/88 74/90 75  735242
AEX 85 72/89 73/94 73  735242

.LCH...FFA FLOOW WATCH FOR LOWER SOUTHEAST TX AND SOUTHWEST LA TODAY.
       FLW FLOOD WARNING FOR LOWER SOUTHEAST TX AND SOUTHWEST LA
       UNTIL 3 PM.
       SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HIGH ISLAND TO ATCHAFALAYA RIVER OUT
       60NM.

11-SWEENEY

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 15, 9:28 AM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-152000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
928 AM CDT THU AUG 15 2002

...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE TODAY...

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING UP THE TEXAS COAST AND A VERY
MOIST TROPICAL AIRMASS WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY AVERAGE 1 INCH
AREAWIDE...EXCEPT OVER LOWER SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
WHERE 3 TO 6 INCHES HAD ALREADY FALLEN AND AN ADDITIONAL 3 INCHES IS
EXPECTED.

A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WHICH DEVELOPED EARLY THIS MORNING OVER THE
WATERS OFF THE UPPER TEXAS AND WEST LOUISIANA COAST WILL LIKELY
CONTINUE TO PRODUCE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL CONTINUOUSLY TRACK
INLAND OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. A FLOOD WARNING
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS AS DRAINAGE SYSTEMS WILL LIKELY
BECOME OVERWHELMED.

ALL INTERESTS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA SHOULD KEEP
IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE ON THIS SITUATION.

SWEENEY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 15, 6:18 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH57 min
Aug 15, 7:10 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH65 min
Aug 15, 8:13 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH62 min
Aug 15, 9:17 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH58 min
Aug 15, 10:11 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH64 min
Aug 15, 10:11 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH64 min
Aug 15, 10:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCameron52 min
Aug 15, 2:58 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH62 min
Aug 15, 5:28 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH62 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.