Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 27, NWS Lake Charles, LA

February 21, 2008Jefferson County, Orange County, Texas; Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 21, 2008, 2:20 PM CST for Jefferson County, Orange County, Texas; Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 25 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: Feb 21, 2008, 2:20 PM CST (20:20 UTC)
Expired: Feb 21, 2008, 2:45 PM CST
In force: 25 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Calcasieu Parish, LA, Cameron Parish, LA, Jefferson County, TX, Orange County, TX

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:23 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Feb 21, 1:41 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 55 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: 651 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 468 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 182 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 220 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 3.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KLCH 212020
SVRLCH
LAC019-023-TXC245-361-212045-
/O.NEW.KLCH.SV.W.0027.080221T2020Z-080221T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
220 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...PORT NECHES...NEDERLAND...GROVES...
  CENTRAL GARDENS...
  ORANGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...WEST ORANGE...ORANGE...BRIDGE CITY...
  SOUTHWESTERN CALCASIEU PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  NORTHWESTERN CAMERON PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

* UNTIL 245 PM CST

* AT 218 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  PORT NECHES...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  BRIDGE CITY BY 230 PM CST...
  ORANGE AND WEST ORANGE BY 245 PM CST...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3001 9351 2995 9377 2996 9383 2993 9384
      2990 9397 3004 9409 3025 9374 3024 9372
      3027 9370
TIME...MOT...LOC 2020Z 234DEG 22KT 3003 9394

$$

BRAZZELL

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 212034
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
234 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

TXC245-212044-
/O.CAN.KLCH.SV.W.0027.000000T0000Z-080221T2045Z/
JEFFERSON TX-
234 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY
IS CANCELLED...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3001 9351 2995 9377 2996 9385 2999 9388
      2999 9391 3007 9401 3025 9374 3024 9372
      3027 9370
TIME...MOT...LOC 2034Z 234DEG 22KT 3008 9386

$$

LAC019-023-TXC361-212045-
/O.CON.KLCH.SV.W.0027.000000T0000Z-080221T2045Z/
CAMERON LA-CALCASIEU LA-ORANGE TX-
234 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 PM CST
FOR EASTERN ORANGE COUNTY...AND SOUTHWESTERN CALCASIEU AND
NORTHWESTERN CAMERON PARISHES...

AT 228 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR BRIDGE CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  ORANGE AND WEST ORANGE BY 245 PM CST...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES QUICKLY...IF A TORNADO IS 
SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY 
STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3001 9351 2995 9377 2996 9385 2999 9388
      2999 9391 3007 9401 3025 9374 3024 9372
      3027 9370
TIME...MOT...LOC 2034Z 234DEG 22KT 3008 9386

$$

BRAZZELL

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 Feb 21, 1:43 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 1:43 PM CST, 37 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
143 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

.UPDATE...TORNADO WATCH #70 UNTIL 9 PM FOR ALL EXCEPT LOWER ACADIANA.
CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING FAVORABLE FOR ROTATION IN THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG THE BAND CURRENTLY RUNNING FROM JUST SOUTH OF THE I-10
CORRIDOR IN SE TX TO THE I-10 CORRIDOR IN LOUISIANA. THIS BAND IS
MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWARD. ZONE UPDATE TO FOLLOW.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  60  67  50  67 /  40  10  10  10
KBPT  54  66  51  68 /  40  10  10  10
KAEX  51  62  48  63 /  50  20  10  10
KLFT  64  73  51  67 /  40  10  10  10

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     ACADIA...ALLEN...AVOYELLES...BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...
     CAMERON...EVANGELINE...JEFFERSON DAVIS...LAFAYETTE...LOWER
     ST. MARTIN...RAPIDES...ST. LANDRY...UPPER ST. MARTIN...AND
     VERNON.

TX...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     HARDIN...JASPER...JEFFERSON...NEWTON...ORANGE...AND TYLER.

GM...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     COASTAL WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20
     NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON, LA
     OUT 20 NM...AND COASTAL WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER
     TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA OUT 20 NM.

     TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: AND
     COASTAL WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20
     NM.

&&

11

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 3:54 AM CST, 10 hours 26 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
354 AM CST THU FEB 21 2008

GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-
201-215-216-221200-
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-
354 AM CST THU FEB 21 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
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL MARSHES AND I-10
CORRIDOR...AND FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 11 AM.

SEVERE WEATHER IS ALSO POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND THE
LAKES REGION OF TEXAS LATER TODAY.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING
HOURS...TAPERING OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL ADVANCE THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY EVENING.

ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON
TUESDAY...WITH THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 21, 12:00 PM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1200 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

1201 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 59 SSE PECAN ISLAND     28.85N 92.10W
02/21/2008  M52 MPH          GMZ475             XX   PUBLIC

            REPORTED BY PLATFORM IN SOUTH MARSH ISLAND BLOCK 27.

&&

MOGGED

Special weather statement, Feb 21, 1:38 PM CST, 42 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
138 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

LAZ041-051-212045-
CALCASIEU-CAMERON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAKE CHARLES...CAMERON
138 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER WESTERN CAMERON AND SOUTHERN CALCASIEU
PARISHES...

AT 136 PM...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF SABINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THIS STORM IS MOVING
TO THE NORTHEAST A 30 MPH. THIS STORM HAS ALSO SHOWN SOME WEAK
ROTATION. IF THE STORM CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN...A WARNING WILL BE
NEEDED.

Local storm report, Feb 21, 1:45 PM CST, 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
145 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

1205 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 51 S ROCKEFELLER WILDLI 28.94N 92.75W
02/21/2008  E40.00 MPH       GMZ472             XX   PUBLIC

            REPORTED BY PLATFORM IN EAST CAMERON BLOCK 160.

&&

MOGGED

Local storm report, Feb 21, 2:09 PM CST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
209 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

0151 PM     TORNADO          6 N SABINE NATIONAL WIL 29.99N 93.57W
02/21/2008                   CAMERON            LA   PUBLIC

&&

BRAZZELL

Local storm report, Feb 21, 2:19 PM CST, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
219 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

0213 PM     TORNADO          3 SSE CARLYSS           30.14N 93.35W
02/21/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTS BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR MOSS LAKE.

&&

MOGGED

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 21, 9:08 AM CST	Dense Fog Advisory	LCH	Tyler	3 hr
Feb 21, 11:09 AM CST	River Flood Warning	LCH	Hardin, Jefferson	9 hr
Feb 21, 5:29 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Newton	31 min
Feb 21, 5:40 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jasper, Newton	35 min
Feb 20, 10:40 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		65 min
Feb 20, 11:30 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		60 min
Feb 20, 11:39 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		66 min
Feb 21, 1:42 AM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		33 min
Feb 21, 2:35 AM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		55 min
Feb 21, 3:29 AM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		31 min
Feb 21, 4:02 AM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		43 min
Feb 21, 1:49 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron	26 min
Feb 21, 2:14 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron	46 min
Feb 21, 2:51 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard	27 min
Feb 21, 3:15 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis	45 min
Feb 21, 4:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Rapides	44 min
Feb 21, 4:30 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Evangeline, Saint Landry	30 min
Feb 21, 4:40 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vernon	50 min
Feb 21, 5:14 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Saint Landry	31 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2008 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.