Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 130, NWS Lake Charles, LA

September 13, 2008Beauregard Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Sep 13, 2008, 12:33 PM CDT for Beauregard Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 27 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: Sep 13, 2008, 12:33 PM CDT (17:33 UTC)
Expired: Sep 13, 2008, 1:00 PM CDT
In force: 27 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Beauregard Parish, LA, Calcasieu Parish, LA, Cameron Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:33 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 tornado 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
Sep 13, 9:40 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 43 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: 1293 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 639 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 465 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 506 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 2.4
Supercell composite: 14.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KLCH 131733
TORLCH
LAC011-019-023-131800-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0130.080913T1733Z-080913T1800Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1233 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL BEAUREGARD PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  WESTERN CALCASIEU PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...VINTON...DE QUINCY...
  NORTHWESTERN CAMERON PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...SABINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE...JOHNSON BAYOU...

* UNTIL 100 PM CDT

* AT 1227 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO ALONG A
  LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DE QUINCY TO JOHNSON
  BAYOU...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* TORNADO PRODUCING STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  DE QUINCY BY 1250 PM CDT...
  SABINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE BY 1255 PM CDT...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.
GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE...SEEK
SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR
ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND
ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 2975 9377 2993 9377 3062 9348 3058 9328
      2993 9357 2978 9363 2975 9372
TIME...MOT...LOC 1732Z 205DEG 20KT 3038 9348 2979 9370

$$

06

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 131751
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1251 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

LAC011-019-023-131800-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0130.000000T0000Z-080913T1800Z/
BEAUREGARD LA-CAMERON LA-CALCASIEU LA-
1251 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 PM CDT FOR WESTERN
CALCASIEU...NORTHWESTERN CAMERON AND SOUTH CENTRAL BEAUREGARD
PARISHES...

AT 1246 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A LINE OF TORNADO PRODUCING STORMS.  THESE TORNADO PRODUCING
STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM DE QUINCY TO 24 MILES
SOUTH OF VINTON...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM DE QUINCY TO SABINE
NATIONAL WILDLIFE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 23 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 2996 9371 3012 9369 3062 9348 3058 9328
      2994 9356
TIME...MOT...LOC 1751Z 205DEG 20KT 3047 9341 2988 9364

$$

06

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Sep 13, 11:05 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 13, 11:05 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1105 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

.DISCUSSION...IKE CONTINUES TO MOVE RAPIDLY NORTH ACROSS EAST
TEXAS WITH RADAR IMAGERY SHOWING CENTER MOVING INTO HOUSTON
COUNTY. HURRICANE WARNINGS HAVE NOW BEEN DOWNGRADED TO TROPICAL
STORM...WHILE DROPPING THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA OUT OF THE
INLAND TROPICAL WIND WARNING AS WINDS WEAKEN. DESPITE WEAKENING
WINDS FIELDS...DEVASTATING STORM SURGE CONTINUES.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  82  77  86  71  84 / 100  70  60  50  30
KBPT  82  78  86  71  85 / 100  70  60  50  30
KAEX  84  76  85  68  82 / 100  70  60  50  30
KLFT  83  76  86  70  83 / 100  50  60  50  30

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: ACADIA...ALLEN...AVOYELLES...BEAUREGARD...
     CALCASIEU...CAMERON...EVANGELINE...IBERIA...JEFFERSON
     DAVIS...LAFAYETTE...LOWER ST. MARTIN...RAPIDES...ST.
     LANDRY...ST. MARY...UPPER ST. MARTIN...VERMILION...VERNON.

     TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE
     FOLLOWING ZONES: ALLEN...BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...JEFFERSON
     DAVIS...VERNON.

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

TX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: HARDIN...JASPER...JEFFERSON...NEWTON...ORANGE...
     TYLER.

     TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE
     FOLLOWING ZONES: HARDIN...JASPER...NEWTON...ORANGE...TYLER.

     TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: JEFFERSON.

GM...TROPICAL STORM WARNING 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...
     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.

&&

MARCOTTE

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 13, 4:03 AM CDT, 8 hours 30 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
403 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-
201-215-216-140915-
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-
403 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 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 CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TODAY WITH PERIODS OF TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL...TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...TIDAL SURGES
FROM 12 FEET IN VERMILION PARISH TO 20 FEET IN JEFFERSON COUNTY
THROUGH THE MORNING. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON HOURS. TIDAL CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE LATER TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE TOMORROW AS IKE EXITS THE
REGION ALTHOUGH RAINS WILL CONTINUE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

K. KUYPER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 13, 7:11 AM CDT, 5 hours 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
711 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

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

0710 AM     STORM SURGE      LAKE CHARLES            30.21N 93.20W
09/13/2008  M11.50 FT        CALCASIEU          LA   PUBLIC

            PORT OF LAKE CHARLES REPORTED 11.5 FT TIDE LEVEL DUE TO
            STORM SURGE.

&&

SHAMBURGER

Local storm report, Sep 13, 7:16 AM CDT, 5 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
716 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

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

0715 AM     STORM SURGE      LAKE CHARLES            30.21N 93.20W
09/13/2008  U0.00 FT         CALCASIEU          LA   NWS EMPLOYEE

            MAJOR FLOODING REPORTED AT LAKE STREET AND SALESTREET IN
            LAKE CHARLES

&&

Local storm report, Sep 13, 7:43 AM CDT, 4 hours 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
743 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

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

0730 AM     STORM SURGE      WESTLAKE                30.25N 93.26W
09/13/2008  U0.00 FT         CALCASIEU          LA   PUBLIC

            MANY HOMES ON MATILDA STREET WITH MINOR FLOODING.

&&

LANDRENEAU

Local storm report, Sep 13, 9:56 AM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
956 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

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

0953 AM     HURRICANE        10 S NEW IBERIA         29.86N 91.82W
09/13/2008                   IBERIA             LA   COAST GUARD

            PONTOON BARGE SUNK NEAR STATE ROUTE 83 AT WAREHOUSE
            BAYOU.

&&

FNAVEJAR

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 12, 7:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides, Saint Landry	23 min
Sep 12, 7:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides, Vernon	24 min
Sep 12, 7:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides	28 min
Sep 12, 7:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides, Vernon	29 min
Sep 12, 7:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Rapides	32 min
Sep 12, 8:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Martin, St. Mary, Vermilion	33 min
Sep 12, 9:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, Vermilion	37 min
Sep 12, 10:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Evangeline, Lafayette, Saint Landry	27 min
Sep 12, 10:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Landry and 1 more	49 min
Sep 12, 11:04 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Vermilion	26 min
Sep 13, 12:06 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides	24 min
Sep 13, 12:07 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Rapides, Vernon	38 min
Sep 13, 1:38 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion	22 min
Sep 13, 1:41 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis	34 min
Sep 13, 2:01 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion	29 min
Sep 13, 2:08 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion	37 min
Sep 13, 2:20 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Calcasieu	6 hr
Sep 13, 2:35 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis	14 min
Sep 13, 2:38 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Cameron, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion	37 min
Sep 13, 2:55 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Vermilion	35 min
Sep 13, 3:26 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis	34 min
Sep 13, 3:29 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Lafayette, Vermilion	46 min
Sep 13, 3:38 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion	37 min
Sep 13, 3:57 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Rapides, Vernon	33 min
Sep 13, 4:11 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, Rapides, Saint Landry and 1 more	34 min
Sep 13, 5:14 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu, Vernon	46 min
Sep 13, 5:25 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis	35 min
Sep 13, 5:32 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vernon	6 hr
Sep 13, 5:51 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Vernon	24 min
Sep 13, 7:16 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion	29 min
Sep 13, 7:43 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Jefferson Davis	32 min
Sep 13, 8:48 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Vernon	27 min
Sep 13, 9:10 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Rapides, Vernon	35 min
Sep 13, 9:41 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline and 3 more	3 hr
Sep 13, 11:18 AM CDT	Tropical Storm Warning	LCH		6 hr
Sep 13, 11:35 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Cameron	25 min
Sep 13, 11:40 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides	35 min
Sep 13, 11:59 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron	31 min
Sep 13, 12:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides	33 min
Sep 13, 1:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu, Vernon	27 min
Sep 13, 1:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Vernon	34 min
Sep 13, 2:04 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Vernon	26 min
Sep 13, 2:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Rapides, Vernon	28 min
Sep 13, 4:22 PM CDT	Lake Wind Advisory	LCH	Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Evangeline, Lafayette, Rapides and 3 more	8 hr
Sep 13, 4:43 PM CDT	Small Craft Advisory	LCH		14 hr
Sep 13, 5:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard	29 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2008 Every tornado warning in 2008 Tornadoes 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.