Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Lake Charles, LA

February 21, 2008Avoyelles Parish, Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Feb 21, 2008, 4:30 PM CST for Avoyelles Parish, Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 30 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, 4:30 PM CST (22:30 UTC)
Expired: Feb 21, 2008, 5:00 PM CST
In force: 30 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

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

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
Feb 21, 1:41 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 113 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 
WFUS54 KLCH 212230
TORLCH
LAC009-039-097-212300-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0006.080221T2230Z-080221T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
430 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN AVOYELLES PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  EVANGELINE PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...VILLE PLATTE...MAMOU...
  NORTHWESTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

* UNTIL 500 PM CST

* AT 428 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR MAMOU...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  MAMOU BY 435 PM CST...
  VILLE PLATTE BY 445 PM CST...

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 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3097 9221 3080 9203 3050 9246 3063 9260
TIME...MOT...LOC 2230Z 228DEG 33KT 3063 9245

$$

BRAZZELL

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 212250
SVSLCH

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

LAC009-039-097-212300-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-080221T2300Z/
AVOYELLES LA-EVANGELINE LA-ST. LANDRY LA-
450 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST FOR
NORTHWESTERN ST. LANDRY...EASTERN EVANGELINE AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN
AVOYELLES PARISHES...

AT 447 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR MAMOU...MOVING
EAST AT 35 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  VILLE PLATTE BY 500 PM CST...

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

LAT...LON 3081 9204 3076 9208 3055 9239 3054 9241
      3054 9243 3070 9248 3093 9222
TIME...MOT...LOC 2250Z 248DEG 14KT 3065 9237

$$

BRAZZELL

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 212303
SVSLCH

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

LAC009-039-097-212311-
/O.EXP.KLCH.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-080221T2300Z/
AVOYELLES LA-EVANGELINE LA-ST. LANDRY LA-
501 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN ST. LANDRY...EASTERN
EVANGELINE AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN AVOYELLES PARISHES EXPIRES AT 500
PM CST...

THERE IS STILL A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR VILLE PLATTE...HOWEVER THE 
STORM HAS WEAKEND TO BELOW SEVERE LEVELS AT THIS TIME.

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

LAT...LON 3081 9204 3076 9208 3055 9239 3054 9241
      3054 9243 3070 9248 3093 9222
TIME...MOT...LOC 2250Z 248DEG 14KT 3065 9237

$$

BRAZZELL

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 Feb 21, 2:51 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 2:51 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes before

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

.SYNOPSIS...A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH ROTATION HAS HAD A FEW
REPORTS OF TORNADOES IN CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES. FURTHER
WEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE REACHING SEVERE LIMITS. AS THIS BAND PASSES
NORTH, THE IMMINENT THREAT WILL BE OVER, HOWEVER A TORNADO WATCH
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING.

A COLD FRONT WITH ARCTIC ORIGINS CURRENTLY WEDGING INTO CENTRAL
TEXAS HAS A FRONTAL WAVE NEAR TYLER. FURTHER EAST, THE FRONT IS
CREEPING SOUTHWARD. A STRONG AND DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO THE
WEST IS PROVIDING INSTABILITY. SOUTHERLY WINDS BEHIND A WARM FRONT
FROM LUFKIN SOUTHEAST TO LAFAYETTE IS PROVIDING SUFFICIENT LOW
LEVEL SHEAR TO PRODUCE ROTATION.

&&

.SHORT TERM...GFS LOOKS TO BE HITTING THE RAIN TOO HARD TNITE.
BACKED OFF ON POPS AND WILL NOT ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH. WENT LOWER ON
TEMPS CONSIDERING DEW POINTS REAR OF THE FRONT NEAR 30 UPSTREAM
FROM THE NORTHERN ZONES, NEAR 36 WEST OF OUR SOUTHERN ZONES. ALL EXCEPT
SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA CAN EXPECT THIS FRONT LATER TONIGHT. MUCH
DRIER AIR IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT SHOULD CLEAR US OUT BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

.LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THRU THE WEEKEND STILL LOOKING DRY. A
POLAR OUTBREAK ON TUESDAY WITH ARCTIC AIR PLUNDERING THE UPPER
PLAINS IS TICKETED FOR THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY EARLY WEDNESDAY.
OUR NEXT FREEZE COULD RESULT FROM THIS BUT KEPT OVERNIGHT TEMPS
ABOVE THE FREEZING MARK FOR NOW.

&&

.AVIATION...SEA FOG AND LOW CIGS PRODUCING LIFR CONDITIONS THIS
EVENING FOR LCH, BPT, LFT, AND ARA.

&&

.MARINE...WILL ALLOW THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY TO EXPIRE DUE
CONVECTIVE MIXING. WINDS STILL LOOK TO HOLD BELOW ADVISORY
CRITERIA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  60  67  50  67 /  40   5   0   0
KBPT  55  66  51  68 /  40  20   0   0
KAEX  51  62  48  63 /  50  20   0   0
KLFT  64  73  51  67 /  50  10   0   0

&&

.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, 12 hours 36 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, 3:06 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes before

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

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

0300 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 N LAKE CHARLES        30.23N 93.20W
02/21/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            FUNNEL CLOUD AT THE INTERSECTION OF KIRKMAN AND 12TH
            STREETS. REPORTED TO CALCASIEU 911 AT 300 PM.

&&

JNUNN

Local storm report, Feb 21, 3:10 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

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

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

0308 PM     FLOOD            WESTLAKE                30.25N 93.26W
02/21/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   NWS EMPLOYEE

            SIGNIFICANT URBAN FLOODING IN WEST LAKE. WITH ABOUT 2
            FEET OF WATER ON THE ROAD.

&&

JBRAZZEL

Local storm report, Feb 21, 3:11 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

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

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

0308 PM     FLOOD            LAKE CHARLES            30.21N 93.20W
02/21/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   NWS EMPLOYEE

            URBAN FLOODING REPORTED ON LAKE STREET OF ABOUT ONE FOOT
            DEEP.

&&

JBRAZZEL

Local storm report, Feb 21, 4:13 PM CST, 17 minutes before

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

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

0405 PM     HAIL             WOODWORTH               31.15N 92.50W
02/21/2008  E0.50 INCH       RAPIDES            LA   PUBLIC

&&

MOGGED

Local storm report, Feb 21, 4:16 PM CST, 14 minutes before

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

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

0407 PM     HAIL             WOODWORTH               31.15N 92.50W
02/21/2008  E0.88 INCH       RAPIDES            LA   PUBLIC

&&

MOGGED

Local storm report, Feb 21, 4:19 PM CST, 11 minutes before

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

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

0407 PM     HAIL             WOODWORTH               31.15N 92.50W
02/21/2008  E0.75 INCH       RAPIDES            LA   PUBLIC

&&

MOGGED

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
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, 9:08 AM CST	Dense Fog Advisory	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Vernon	3 hr
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, 2:20 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron	25 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, 4:40 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vernon	50 min
Feb 21, 5:14 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Saint Landry	31 min
Feb 21, 5:29 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Vernon	31 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.