Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 74, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 15, 2008Newton County, Orange County, Texas; Beauregard Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 2008, 4:15 AM CDT for Newton County, Orange County, Texas; Beauregard Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 45 min. 6 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 15, 2008, 4:15 AM CDT (09:15 UTC)
Expired: May 15, 2008, 5:00 AM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Beauregard Parish, LA, Calcasieu Parish, LA, Newton County, TX, Orange County, TX

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:15 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 15, 4:20 AM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Starks, LA	TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN STARKS. REPORTED BY CALCASIEU PARISH 911 CENTER.
May 15, 4:35 AM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Deweyville, TX	TREES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. REPORTED BY NEWTON COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE.
May 15, 4:41 AM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 N Dequincy, LA	TREE DOWN ON HIGHWAY 27 JUST NORTH OF DEQUINCY. REPORTED BY DEQUINCY PD.
May 15, 4:55 AM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Sulphur, LA	LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN ACROSS THE CITY.
May 15, 5:05 AM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nw Moss Bluff, LA	TREE BLOWN DOWN AND CRUSHED A SERVICE TRAILER. REPORTED BY KPLC-TV.
May 15, 5:10 AM CDT	TSTM WND GST 52	6 S Lake Charles, LA	MEASURED AT LAKE CHARLES LSU AG CENTER.

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 4 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 5 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 15, 1:16 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 37 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: 2367 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 569 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 96 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.0
Supercell composite: 4.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KLCH 150916
SVRLCH
LAC011-019-TXC351-361-151000-
/O.NEW.KLCH.SV.W.0074.080515T0915Z-080515T1000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
415 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN NEWTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
   THIS INCLUDES  DEWEYVILLE...
  NORTHEASTERN ORANGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
   THIS INCLUDES  MAURICEVILLE...
  SOUTHWESTERN BEAUREGARD PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
   THIS INCLUDES FIELDS...
  CALCASIEU PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
   THIS INCLUDES...WESTLAKE...VINTON...SULPHUR...STARKS...MOSS
   BLUFF...LAKE CHARLES...DE QUINCY...

* UNTIL 500 AM CDT

* AT 411 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE
  HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE
  LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES WEST OF FIELDS TO
  DEWEYVILLE TO MAURICEVILLE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 42 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  FIELDS AND STARKS BY 420 AM CDT...
  VINTON AND DE QUINCY BY 435 AM CDT...
  SULPHUR BY 445 AM CDT...
  CARLYSS BY 450 AM CDT...
  WESTLAKE...MOSS BLUFF AND GILLIS BY 455 AM CDT...
  LAKE CHARLES BY 500 AM CDT...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM CDT THURSDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3049 9313 3016 9313 3006 9326 3020 9389
      3025 9389 3031 9382 3061 9376
TIME...MOT...LOC 0915Z 283DEG 37KT 3050 9367 3029 9371
          3022 9382

$$

SHAMBURGER

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 150948
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
447 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

TXC351-361-150957-
/O.CAN.KLCH.SV.W.0074.000000T0000Z-080515T1000Z/
NEWTON TX-ORANGE TX-
447 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN ORANGE AND
SOUTHWESTERN NEWTON COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM CDT THURSDAY 
MORNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3014 9363 3056 9348 3049 9313 3019 9313
      3016 9313 3006 9326
TIME...MOT...LOC 0947Z 283DEG 37KT 3048 9321 3013 9341

$$

LAC011-019-151000-
/O.CON.KLCH.SV.W.0074.000000T0000Z-080515T1000Z/
BEAUREGARD LA-CALCASIEU LA-
447 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 AM CDT
FOR CENTRAL CALCASIEU AND SOUTH CENTRAL BEAUREGARD PARISHES...

AT 443 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY
SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS
WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF GILLIS
TO 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CARLYSS...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
RAGLEY TO 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF VINTON...MOVING EAST AT 43 MPH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  WESTLAKE...MOSS BLUFF AND GILLIS BY 455 AM CDT...
  LAKE CHARLES BY 500 AM CDT...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS. SEEK 
SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM CDT THURSDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3014 9363 3056 9348 3049 9313 3019 9313
      3016 9313 3006 9326
TIME...MOT...LOC 0947Z 283DEG 37KT 3048 9321 3013 9341

$$

SHAMBURGER

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 15, 1:36 AM CDT, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 1:36 AM CDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
136 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

.DISCUSSION...QUICK UPDATE TO FORECAST TO INCLUDE NEW TORNADO
WATCH ISSUED FOR THE TEXAS LAKES AREA INTO CENTRAL LOUISIANA UNTIL
10 AM. BOW ECHO WITH WELL DEFINED MARC SIGNATURE CURRENTLY HEADING
JUST A HAIR NORTH OF DUE EAST THROUGH TRINITY COUNTY WILL BE A
CLOSE CALL...AND MAY SKIRT JUST NORTH OF TYLER...NEWTON...AND
JASPER COUNTIES. MEANWHILE...A DEFINITE UPTICK IN CONVECTIVE
ACTION NOTED OVER THE PAST HOUR. CELL THAT DEVELOPED RAPIDLY
SOUTH OF GALVESTON ISLAND HEADING NORTHEAST TOWARD SABINE
LAKE...AND MAY IMPACT FAR SOUTHEAST JEFFERSON COUNTY BEFORE
HEADING INTO WESTERN CAMERON PARISH. OTHER UPDRAFTS ARE GOING UP
AROUND THIS CELL AND FARTHER NORTH INTO EASTERN TEXAS AS WELL.
UPDATED ZFP AND WCN ALREADY SENT.

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR LAZ027-028-030.

TX...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR TXZ180>182-201.

GM...SCEC ALL MARINE ZONES.

&&

13

Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 6:03 AM CDT, 22 hours 12 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
603 AM CDT WED MAY 14 2008

GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-
201-215-216-151115-
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-
603 AM CDT WED MAY 14 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
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE TODAY AS SEVERAL
SHORTWAVES MOVE OVER THE AREA IN SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE
OUTLOOK AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM ANY
SEVERE STORMS THAT DEVELOP WOULD BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS...BUT ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

IN ADDITION...DEEP MOISTURE OVER THE AREA WILL RESULT IN THE
POTENTIAL FOR SOME STORMS TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS. LOCALIZED
FLOODING COULD BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND WHERE
TRAINING STORMS OCCUR.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY
INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...UNTIL A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT...AS WILL THE CHANCE FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN BEHIND THE FRONT AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

13

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 15, 2:38 AM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
238 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

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

0152 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 1 S SEA RIM STATE PARK  29.67N 94.05W
05/15/2008  M55.00 MPH       GMZ450             TX   BUOY

            MEASURED WIND GUST TO 48 KNOTS.

&&

13

Special weather statement, May 15, 3:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
300 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

LAZ041-042-051-052-150900-
CAMERON LA-VERMILION LA-JEFFERSON DAVIS LA-CALCASIEU LA-
300 AM CDT THU MAY 15 2008

..SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CAMERON...VERMILION...JEFFERSON DAVIS
AND CALCASIEU PARISHES UNTIL 400 AM CDT...

AT 256 AM CDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED BY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9
MILES EAST OF GRAND LAKE TO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JOHNSON
BAYOU...MOVING EAST AT 38 MPH.

* STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  BELL CITY BY 315 AM CDT
  CONSTANCE BEACH BY 320 AM CDT
  HAYES BY 325 AM CDT
  HOLLY BEACH BY 330 AM CDT
  FORKED ISLAND BY 330 AM CDT
  CAMERON BY 345 AM CDT
  LACASSINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE...KLONDIKE...RUTHERFORD BEACH
  AND CREOLE BY 400 AM CDT

VERY FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.  IN
ADDITION...GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND BRIEF TORRENTIAL RAINFALL
WILL BE POSSIBLE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM CDT THURSDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

SHAMBURGER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 15, 2:06 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jasper, Tyler	39 min
May 15, 2:21 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Jasper, Tyler	24 min
May 15, 2:46 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jasper, Tyler	44 min
May 15, 3:30 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Newton	15 min
May 15, 3:59 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Jasper, Newton	16 min
May 15, 1:08 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		67 min
May 15, 2:14 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		61 min
May 15, 3:41 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		64 min
May 15, 4:06 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Rapides, Vernon	39 min
May 15, 4:41 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Evangeline, Rapides, Vernon	64 min
May 15, 4:58 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis	47 min
May 15, 4:59 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Cameron, Vermilion	31 min
May 15, 5:28 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Vermilion	19 min
May 15, 5:43 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin and 1 more	47 min
May 15, 5:58 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		62 min
May 15, 6:13 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Vermilion	32 min
May 15, 6:15 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Vermilion	30 min
May 15, 6:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, St. Mary, Vermilion	76 min
May 15, 6:33 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin	27 min
May 15, 6:38 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Vermilion	21 min
May 15, 6:48 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		87 min
May 15, 7:14 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	LCH	Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, St. Mary and 1 more	3 hr
May 15, 7:19 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron	3 hr
May 15, 7:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Iberia, Saint Martin, St. Mary	16 min
May 15, 6:53 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Vermilion	9 hr

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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.