Alert archive / Louisiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 2008

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 22, 2008Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at May 22, 2008, 8:58 PM CDT for Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 3 hr. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 22, 2008, 8:58 PM CDT (01:58 UTC)
Expired: May 23, 2008, 12:00 AM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Evangeline Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 22, 9:30 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	2 N Chataignier, LA	FLOODING REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 29 BETWEEN CHATAIGNIER AND VILLE PLATTE.
May 22, 9:55 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Lawtell, LA	FLOODING REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 190 NEAR LAWTELL.
May 22, 9:55 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	Opelousas, LA	FLOODING REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 182 NORTH OF OPELOUSAS AS WELL AS ON HIGHWAY 190.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 3 storm reports to this flash flood warning; the first came 32 minutes after it went out.

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 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 116 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: 3819 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 513 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 100 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 230 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 2.5
Supercell composite: 14.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS54 KLCH 230159
FFWLCH
LAC039-097-230500-
/O.NEW.KLCH.FF.W.0003.080523T0158Z-080523T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
858 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN EVANGELINE PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
   THIS INCLUDES CHATAIGNIER...
  CENTRAL ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
   THIS INCLUDES OPELOUSAS...EUNICE...PORT BARRE...WASHINGTON...

* UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT

* AT 857 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  FLASH FLOODING FROM THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE FROM EUNICE TO
  KROTZ SPRINGS...MOVING EAST AT 21 MPH.

RADAR ESTIMATES THAT 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE 
WARNED AREA IN THE PAST HOUR.  ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO
3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE
UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS
SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

LAT...LON 3062 9240 3068 9220 3067 9174 3059 9176
      3049 9185 3049 9250
TIME...MOT...LOC 0158Z 262DEG 18KT 3055 9235 3054 9179

$$

SHAMBURGER

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS74 KLCH 230300
FFSLCH

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
952 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

LAC039-097-230500-
/O.CON.KLCH.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-080523T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
EVANGELINE LA-ST. LANDRY LA-
952 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR
CENTRAL ST. LANDRY AND SOUTHEASTERN EVANGELINE PARISHES...

AT 948 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING.  THESE STORMS WERE
LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES WEST OF WASHINGTON TO 8
MILES EAST OF PORT BARRE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF VILLE PLATTE TO KROTZ SPRINGS...MOVING EAST AT 13 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...  
 OPELOUSAS AND PORT BARRE...

AT 950 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED WATER COVERING HIGHWAY
190 IN LAWTELL AND OPELOUSAS...AND HIGHWAY 182 BETWEEN OPELOUSAS AND
WASHINGTON.

RADAR ESTIMATES UP TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN
EVANGELINE PARISH...AND UP TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN IN CENTRAL ST. LANDRY
PARISH.  ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE 
IN THE WARNED AREA.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO
AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY
DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL
ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED
ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

TO REPORT FLOODING...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN LAKE
CHARLES.

LAT...LON 3062 9240 3068 9220 3067 9174 3059 9176
      3049 9185 3049 9250
TIME...MOT...LOC 0252Z 252DEG 11KT 3062 9222 3056 9180

$$

SHAMBURGER

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 May 22, 8:20 PM CDT, 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 8:20 PM CDT, 38 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
820 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

.UPDATE...
RADAR SHOWS ACTIVITY ATTEMPTING TO REDEVELOP ACROSS SW LA INTO
WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. KLCH 00Z SHOWS POTENTIAL ENERGY
STILL AVAILABLE ALONG WITH GOOD LOW LEVEL SHEAR WHICH IS HELPING
TO FIRE STORMS FURTHER WEST ALONG THE WEAK SFC BDRY. MAINTAINED
LIKELY POPS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL LA AND EXPANDED AREA A BIT NORTH
AND WEST BASED ON RADAR TRENDS...WHILE REINTRODUCING SLT CHC TO CHC
POPS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA EXCEPT FOR EXTREME WRN
ZONES. 24

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 655 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008/

UPDATE...
HAVE UPDATED THE GRIDS AND ZONES FOR POPS FOR THIS EVENING. LATEST
RADAR SHOWS MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE HAS MOVED NORTHEAST OF THE AREA...WITH THE EXCEPTION
OF A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
LOUISIANA. A WEAK SFC TROUGH IS HELPING TO ENHANCE THE
REDEVELOPMENT OF STORMS IN THIS AREA. EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO
DIMINISH WITH THE LOSS OF SFC HEATING THIS EVENING.  24

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 351 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008/

DISCUSSION...REGIONAL 88DS AND SFC OBS INDICATE THAT SCATTERED TO
NUMEROUS RW/TRW PERSIST ACROSS THE AREA FROM WOODVILLE TO LAKE
CHARLES TO LAFAYETTE TO MORGAN CITY NORTHWARD. CONVECTION IS
ASSOCIATED WITH A SHORTWAVE TROF MAKING SLOW PROGRESS NEWD ACROSS
THE REGION. MSAS SFC ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWS A WEAK TROF EXTENDING
FROM LOW PRESSURE OVER NWRN TX TO SERN LA WHICH IS LIKELY HELPING
FLARE UP CONVECTION AS WELL. RAISED INHERITED POPS FOR THIS
EVENING AS BACK EDGE OF PRECIP HAS ONLY BEEN MAKING SLOW PROGRESS
FROM SW TO NE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH POPS
RANGING FROM 20 PERCENT WRN ZONES TO 50 PERCENT ACROSS THE
ATCHAFALAYA BASIN AND E-CNTL LA. ONLY CARRYING 20 POPS FOR ERN 1/3
OF AREA FOR AFTER MIDNIGHT FOR ANY STRAGGLING SHOWERS WHICH MAY
LINGER BACK OVER THIS AREA.

NOT MANY CHANGES WERE MADE BEYOND TONIGHT WITH A BLOCKING RIDGE
PROGGED TO SET UP ALOFT OVER THE AREA WHILE THE BERMUDA HIGH
CONTINUES TO KEEP A SRLY LO-LVL FLOW IN PLACE OVER THE REGION.
HOWEVER LOOKS LIKE ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PRODUCE
AT LEAST WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION EACH AFTERNOON ALONG
POTENTIAL SEA BREEZE AND ADDITIONAL OUTFLOW DEVELOPMENT SO KEPT
SMALL POPS EACH DAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. RIDGE BEGINS TO BREAK
DOWN EARLY NEXT WEEK AS SHORTWAVE TROF CROSSING THE GREAT LAKES
BREAKS IT DOWN. MEANWHILE A SFC FRONT IS PROGGED TO DROP SOUTH
TOWARD THE AREA BY LATE IN THE PERIOD. ALL IN ALL SHOULD CONTINUE
TO SEE AT LEAST WIDELY SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION
UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WHEN DRIER AIR ENCROACHES FROM THE
EAST.

AVIATION...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS CONVECTION EXPECTED TO PERSIST
AT KLCH THROUGH ABOUT 22Z...KLFT/KARA THROUGH 00Z AND KAEX THROUGH
MAYBE 03Z OR SO. THEREAFTER WET GROUNDS MAY LEAD TO PATCHY GROUND
FOG AFTER 06Z...ESPECIALLY TOWARD SUNRISE. OTHERWISE VFR
CONDITIONS EXPECTED.

JS

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  74  92  75  90 /  30  20  10  20
KBPT  75  91  76  90 /  20  20  10  20
KAEX  71  94  72  93 /  30  20  10  20
KLFT  71  92  74  91 /  60  30  10  20

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...NONE.
TX...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 4:26 AM CDT, 16 hours 32 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
426 AM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-
201-215-216-231100-
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-
426 AM CDT THU MAY 22 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
AN APPROACHING TEXAS COASTAL BEND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL
INTERACT WITH A SURFACE WAVE FROM THE YUCATAN TO BRING A CHANCE OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY. THE HIGHEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER
CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST THIS WEEKEND THROUGH NEXT WEEK...
HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL DOMINATE THE REGION.
EXPECT ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MID 90S FOR
AFTERNOON HIGHS...AND LOWER TO MID 70S FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS...WHICH
IS ABOUT 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR LATE MAY. EXPECT AT LEAST A
SLIGHT CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH
TUESDAY...WITH DRIER AIR ALOFT PUTTING THE LID ON ANY DEVELOPMENT
BY WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

DML

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 22, 6:05 PM CDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
605 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

0600 PM     FLASH FLOOD      HENDERSON               30.31N 91.80W
05/22/2008                   ST. MARTIN         LA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            OFFICER DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 10 REPORTED WIDESPREAD

            FLOODING OF FIELDS, PARKING LOTS, AND ROADS IN HENDERSON.

&&

SNAVELY

Local storm report, May 22, 6:44 PM CDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
644 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

0615 PM     FLASH FLOOD      LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
05/22/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            HOMES FLOODED ON PINHOOK ROAD. RELAYED BY KATC IN
            LAFAYETTE.

0615 PM     FLASH FLOOD      LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
05/22/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            HOMES FLOODING IN OAKBORNE SUBDIVISION BY THE LAFAYETTE
            AIRPORT. HOUSE FLOODED AT SOUTH ORANGE AND 10TH STREET.
            NUMEROUS OTHER STREETS FLOODED. RELAYED BY KATC IN
            LAFAYETTE.

0620 PM     FLASH FLOOD      CECILIA                 30.34N 91.85W
05/22/2008                   ST. MARTIN         LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            CECILIA HIGH SCHOOL FLOODED. RELAYED BY KATC IN
            LAFAYETTE.

&&

SNAVELY

Local storm report, May 22, 7:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
707 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

0700 PM     FLASH FLOOD      LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
05/22/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED FLOODING ON EVANGELINE THRUWAY
            SOUTHBOUND AT MUDD STREET AND NORTHBOUND FROM 11TH STREET
            TO MUDD STREET.

&&

SNAVELY

Local storm report, May 22, 8:14 PM CDT, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
814 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

0630 PM     FLASH FLOOD      LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
05/22/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            NUMEROUS REPORTS OF CARS STALLED IN HIGH WATER ACROSS THE
            EASTERN HALF OF LAFAYETTE.

&&

SHAMBURGER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 22, 7:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis	31 min
May 22, 7:53 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin	3 hr
May 22, 10:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry, Saint Martin	38 min
May 22, 10:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry, Saint Martin	45 min
May 22, 11:05 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin	6 hr
May 23, 5:07 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LCH	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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.