Alert archive / Louisiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 2008

Flash Flood Warning 11, NWS Lake Charles, LA

September 1, 20084 parishes in Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at Sep 1, 2008, 6:51 PM CDT for 4 parishes in Louisiana. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Sep 1, 2008, 6:51 PM CDT (23:51 UTC)
Expired: Sep 1, 2008, 9:45 PM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Avoyelles Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Rapides Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood 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, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 153 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: 41 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -174 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1168 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 105 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 107 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 
WGUS54 KLCH 012351
FFWLCH
LAC009-039-079-097-020245-
/O.NEW.KLCH.FF.W.0011.080901T2351Z-080902T0245Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
651 PM CDT MON SEP 1 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN AVOYELLES PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SIMMESPORT...MOREAUVILLE...BUNKIE...
  BORDELONVILLE...
  NORTHEASTERN EVANGELINE PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  SOUTHEASTERN RAPIDES PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  NORTHERN ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...PALMETTO...OPELOUSAS...MELVILLE...

* UNTIL 945 PM CDT

* AT 636 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 3 TO 6 INCHESTHAT COULD PRODUCE FLASH       
  FLOODING OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  WASHINGTON...PORT BARRE...MANSURA AND COTTONPORT

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

LAT...LON 3100 9177 3098 9180 3088 9179 3086 9181
      3085 9179 3082 9180 3081 9177 3078 9174
      3063 9173 3050 9216 3095 9236 3119 9179

$$

JB

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Sep 1, 4:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 1, 4:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
453 PM CDT MON SEP 1 2008

.DISCUSSION...AT PRESS TIME WEAKENING HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED
NEAR OPELOUSAS WHILE MOVING NW TO NNW AT 14 KT. LATEST NHC TRACK
WAS ADJUSTED A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT WITH THE SLIGHTLY MORE NWD
MOTION THIS AFTERNOON. LATEST FORECAST CONTINUES TO TAKE THE
CENTER OF CIRCULATION ACROSS THE NERN AND N-CNTL ZONES THROUGH
THIS EVENING BEFORE MOVING OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA AFTER
MIDNIGHT. SPIRAL BANDS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO
SPREAD WNWWD...WHILE MAINLY LIGHT RAIN WILL LINGER BEHIND THE
STORM OVER LOWER ACADIANA. SPC HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE
NERN ZONES THROUGH MIDNIGHT FOR POSSIBLE TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT NEAR
THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION. ALL GUSTAV-RELATED WARNINGS AND
WATCHES OVER LAND WERE LEFT UNCHANGED WITH THIS PACKAGE...WHILE
AFTER COORDINATING WITH NHC IT WAS DECIDED TO LOWER THE HURRICANE
WARNING WEST OF CAMERON. HURRICANE CONDITIONS LOOK MINIMAL AT BEST
FROM CAMERON TO INTRACOASTAL CITY...BUT WITH ONGOING CONDITIONS AT
KARA AND KLFT THAT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH PROXIMITY TO JUSTIFY LEAVING
UP FOR THOSE MIDDLE MARINE ZONES.

KEPT HIGH POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS WHATEVER
IS LEFT OF GUSTAV GRADUALLY SPINS ON UP TOWARD NERN TX THEN UP TO
THE OZARKS. PLENTIFUL MOISTURE EXPECTED TO LINGER BEHIND THE STORM
WHILE ALL THE MID-RANGE MODELS INDICATE THE STORM WILL LEAVE A
TROF IN ITS WAKE BACK OVER THE AREA. MORE SUMMER-LIKE WEATHER IS
EXPECTED TO RETURN BY LATE IN THE WEEK AS GUSTAV BIDS US GOODBYE
AND WEAK RIDGING ALOFT TRIES TO TAKE OVER.

&&

.AVIATION...VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TO PERSIST AT THE TERMINALS INTO
TONIGHT ALONG WITH MVFR CEILINGS. VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS LOWER
IN RAIN BANDS. IN A WORD OR TWO...DONT FLY.

&&

.MARINE...CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE STARTING TONIGHT AS
GUSTAV MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  75  81  77  86  74 / 100  80  60  60  40
KBPT  75  84  77  86  73 / 100 100  60  60  40
KAEX  73  83  73  82  72 / 100  80  70  60  40
KLFT  74  83  75  85  73 / 100  80  60  60  40

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 3 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR THE
     FOLLOWING ZONES: AVOYELLES...BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...
     RAPIDES...VERNON.

     FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: ACADIA...ALLEN...AVOYELLES...BEAUREGARD...
     CALCASIEU...EVANGELINE...IBERIA...JEFFERSON DAVIS...
     LAFAYETTE...LOWER ST. MARTIN...RAPIDES...ST. LANDRY...ST.
     MARY...UPPER ST. MARTIN...VERMILION...VERNON.

     HURRICANE WIND WARNING UNTIL 3 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: ACADIA...ALLEN...EVANGELINE...JEFFERSON DAVIS...
     LAFAYETTE...LOWER ST. MARTIN...ST. LANDRY...UPPER ST.
     MARTIN.

     HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: CAMERON...IBERIA...
     ST. MARY...VERMILION.

TX...TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 3 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR THE
     FOLLOWING ZONES: HARDIN...JASPER...NEWTON...ORANGE...TYLER.

     TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: JEFFERSON.

GM...HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: COASTAL WATERS FROM
     INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON, LA OUT 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS
     FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA OUT
     20 NM...WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA TO CAMERON, LA
     EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM...WATERS FROM LOWER
     ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA EXTENDING FROM
     20 NM TO 60 NM.

     TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: COASTAL WATERS
     FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20 NM...WATERS FROM
     CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60
     NM.

&&

25

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 1, 5:39 AM CDT, 13 hours 12 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
539 AM CDT MON SEP 1 2008

GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-
201-215-216-021045-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON, LA OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY,
LA OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX EXTENDING FROM 20 NM
TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA TO CAMERON, LA EXTENDING FROM
20 NM TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA
EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM-VERNON-RAPIDES-AVOYELLES-BEAUREGARD-
ALLEN-EVANGELINE-ST. LANDRY-CALCASIEU-JEFFERSON DAVIS-ACADIA-
LAFAYETTE-UPPER ST. MARTIN-CAMERON-VERMILION-IBERIA-ST. MARY-
LOWER ST. MARTIN-TYLER-JASPER-NEWTON-HARDIN-JEFFERSON-ORANGE-
539 AM CDT MON SEP 1 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST
GULF OF MEXICO...CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL BE MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AROUND 5 PM. THESE WINDS
WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO GALE FORCE GUSTS LATE TONIGHT OVER THE
ENTIRE AREA. 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED. TORNADIC
THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN THE INNER RAIN BANDS ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF
THE CENTER PATH ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

GUSTS GREATER THAN 34 KNOTS OR 40 MPH WILL CONTINUE OVER THE LAKES
AREA OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON. AN ADDITIONAL 8 TO
12 INCHES OF RAIN POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. RAIN TOTALS UP
TO 20 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. A STALLING CIRCULATION CENTER AROUND
NORTHEAST TEXAS AND ARKANSAS IS EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
CANNOT RULE OUT THIS SYSTEM STALLING CLOSER TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
CENTRAL LOUISIANA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FOR TORNADIC THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN
THE INNER RAIN BANDS LATER THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY AROUND CENTRAL
AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA.

SWEENEY

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 1, 6:10 PM CDT, 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
610 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0609 PM     TROPICAL STORM   ALEXANDRIA              31.29N 92.46W
09/01/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            51 MPH GUST REPORTED AT KALB TV STATION

&&

BRAZZELL

Local storm report, Sep 1, 6:31 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
631 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0623 PM     TROPICAL STORM   6 SSW OAKDALE           30.74N 92.70W
09/01/2008                   ALLEN              LA   AWOS

            ALLEN PARISH AIRPORT REPORTED WIND GUST TO 54 MPH.

&&

BRAZZELL

Local storm report, Sep 1, 6:33 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
633 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0624 PM     TROPICAL STORM   ALEXANDRIA              31.29N 92.46W
09/01/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            57 MPH WIND GUST REPORTED AT KALB TV.

&&

BRAZZELL

Local storm report, Sep 1, 6:37 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
637 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0636 PM     TROPICAL STORM   DERIDDER                30.85N 93.29W
09/01/2008                   BEAUREGARD         LA   AWOS

            43 MPH WIND GUST REPORTED AT DE RIDDER

&&

BRAZZELL

Local storm report, Sep 1, 6:45 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
645 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0644 PM     TROPICAL STORM   MOSS BLUFF              30.30N 93.20W
09/01/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POWER OUTAGES REPORTED IN MOSS BLUFF

&&

BRAZZELL

Local storm report, Sep 1, 6:46 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
646 PM CDT MON SEP 01 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0630 PM     TROPICAL STORM   7 SW BOYCE              31.32N 92.75W
09/01/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   CO-OP OBSERVER

            53 MPH REPORTED BY A CO-OP OBSERVER

&&

BRAZZELL

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 1, 8:56 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Vermilion	5 days
Sep 1, 9:20 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Allen	48 hr
Sep 1, 9:20 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Rapides	8 days
Sep 1, 9:20 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis	4 days
Sep 1, 9:20 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Acadia, Jefferson Davis	10 hr
Sep 1, 3:53 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin	3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Louisiana, 2008 Every flash flood warning in 2008

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.