Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 21, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 18, 2009Avoyelles Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Apr 18, 2009, 7:45 PM CDT for Avoyelles Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report 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
Apr 18, 2009, 7:45 PM CDT (00:45 UTC)
Expired
Apr 18, 2009, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Avoyelles Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 18, 8:25 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG5 E Palmetto, LALAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN NEAR PUMPING STATION ON HWY 10 BETWEEN PALMETTO AND MELVILLE. POSSIBLE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 145 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2009-04-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1481 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2009-04-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 260 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
1481 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
448 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
260 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
345 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.3
Supercell composite
16.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KLCH 190045
TORLCH
LAC009-097-190115-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0021.090419T0045Z-090419T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
745 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL AVOYELLES PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  NORTHERN ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...PALMETTO...MELVILLE...

* UNTIL 815 PM CDT

* AT 744 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  WASHINGTON...OR 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PALMETTO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  15 MPH. ANOTHER STORM NEAR PORT BARRE CONTINUES TO SHOW ROTATION AS 
  WELL...AND IS ALSO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS STORM WILL
  ALSO MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST...AND AFFECT LOCATIONS BETWEEN PORT BARRE
  AND PALMETTO.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  PALMETTO BY 805 PM CDT...



PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 800 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

&&

LAT...LON 3051 9192 3062 9214 3093 9201 3082 9180
      3078 9175 3075 9175 3074 9173 3071 9173
      3069 9173
TIME...MOT...LOC 0044Z 204DEG 14KT 3067 9200

$$

13
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS54 KLCH 190103
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
803 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

LAC009-097-190115-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-090419T0115Z/
AVOYELLES LA-ST. LANDRY LA-
803 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN
ST. LANDRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL AVOYELLES PARISHES...

THE ROTATION IN THE LEAD THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE INITIAL WARNING
HAS WEAKENED...HOWEVER AT 801 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER 
RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO FROM A SECOND STORM. THIS TORNADO 
WAS LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF PORT BARRE...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF 
PALMETTO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  PALMETTO AND 6 MILES WEST OF MELVILLE BY 815 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

&&

LAT...LON 3051 9192 3062 9214 3093 9201 3082 9180
      3078 9175 3075 9175 3074 9173 3071 9173
      3069 9173
TIME...MOT...LOC 0102Z 219DEG 14KT 3062 9188

$$

13

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 18, 7:07 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHAllen, Evangeline23 min
Apr 18, 7:15 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHSaint Landry30 min
Apr 18, 8:13 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHSaint Landry32 min
Apr 18, 8:31 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHSaint Landry3 hr
Apr 18, 8:44 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHSaint Landry31 min
Apr 18, 8:49 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLCHCalcasieu37 hr
Apr 18, 9:05 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHSaint Landry25 min
Apr 18, 9:06 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH114 min
Apr 18, 10:22 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHAcadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry113 min
Apr 18, 10:41 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningLCHLafayette, Vermilion22 hr
Apr 18, 10:56 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH109 min
Apr 19, 12:39 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH2 hr
Apr 19, 1:22 AM CDTMarine Weather StatementLCH98 min
Apr 19, 2:50 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH115 min
Apr 19, 3:32 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningLCHAcadia, Jefferson Davis8 days
Apr 19, 5:53 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH97 min
Apr 19, 8:02 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningLCHBeauregard69 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes in 2009

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.