Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 23, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 18, 2009Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Apr 18, 2009, 8:44 PM CDT for Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 31 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: Apr 18, 2009, 8:44 PM CDT (01:44 UTC)
Expired: Apr 18, 2009, 9:15 PM CDT
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

County 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 nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 153 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: 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 190144
TORLCH
LAC097-190215-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0023.090419T0144Z-090419T0215Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

* UNTIL 915 PM CDT

* AT 842 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO OVER
  NORTHEASTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH...OR 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF
  MELVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RURAL NORTHEASTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH AT 900 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3069 9177 3076 9193 3085 9189 3085 9181
      3086 9181 3085 9179 3082 9180 3079 9175
      3075 9175 3074 9173
TIME...MOT...LOC 0144Z 206DEG 14KT 3079 9180

$$

13

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 190211
SVSLCH

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

LAC097-190220-
/O.EXP.KLCH.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-090419T0215Z/
ST. LANDRY LA-
911 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH WILL EXPIRE
AT 915 PM CDT...

THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THIS WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND MOVE OUT OF 
THE PARISH.

A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES FOR EASTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL 
LOUISIANA...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF MELVILLE AND KROTZ SPRINGS UNTIL 
930 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 3069 9177 3076 9193 3085 9189 3085 9181
      3086 9181 3085 9179 3082 9180 3079 9175
      3075 9175 3074 9173
TIME...MOT...LOC 0210Z 206DEG 14KT 3088 9175

$$

13

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 Apr 18, 8:30 PM CDT, 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 8:30 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
830 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

.AVIATION...MESO LOW SOUTH OF LCH PRODUCING MODERATE TO HEAVY
RAINFALL IN EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS UNDER A STRONGLY DIVERGENT
FLOW ALOFT. MVFR CIGS ARE THE RULE WITH HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCING
IFR VIS AT TIMES AT LCH, AEX, AND LFT. CONDITIONS NOT NEARLY AS
POOR AT ARA WHICH LOOKS TO MISS THE HEAVY RAINFALL. ARA SHOULD SEE
JUST TEMPO MVFR CIGS/VIS FOR THE NEXT 4 HOURS. BPT HAS ALREADY
IMPROVED TO VFR CIGS WITH CLEAR SKIES REPORTED TO THE NORTHWEST.
GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS AT BPT SHOULD DIMINISH AND BECOME MORE
VARIABLE AS THE LOW MOVES OFF TO THE NORTHEAST. COULD BE SOME FOG
LIMITING VIS TO MVFR LATER TNITE AS THE RAIN TAPERS OFF. CLEARING
SKIES ON TAP FOR SUNDAY FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE H5 TROF SWINGS THRU.

SWEENEY

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 417 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009/

DISCUSSION...
VERY INTERESTING SFC FEATURE WITH ROTATION IN CHAMBERS LOOKS TO
MOVE INTO JEFFERSON AFTER 5 PM WILL MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.

NEARLY STATIONARY UPPER LVL LOW SPINNING OVER SE COLORADO HAS
KICKED OUT ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF SHRTWVS THAT IS CURRENTLY
TRAVERSING COASTAL TEXAS. SFC TROF IS PROVIDING THE FOCUS FOR
TSTM DEVELOPMENT WITH THE LOW LVL JET DRAGGING MOISTURE INTO SE
TX AND SRN LA. PRECIP WATER RUNNING ABOUT 1.8 INCHES. AT THIS
TIME WITH CAPES AT 1000J/KG AND HEL OF 223 M2/S2. THIS SFC
BOUNDARY IS PROGRESSING SLOWLY ALLOWING STORMS TO TRAIN ACROSS SE
TX WITH RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN TYLER...
JASPER... AND HARDIN COUNTIES. A STRONGER STORM IS PRODUCING
RAINFALL TOTALS FROM 3 TO 5 INCHES IN CHAMBERS COUNTY...THIS STORM
IS MOVING INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY AT THIS TIME AND A FFW HAS BEEN
ISSUED.

STORMS TONIGHT WILL CONTINUE A SLOW MARCH EASTWARD WITH TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF SE TX AND SW LA. A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH FOR THIS REGION WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MIDNIGHT. A TORNADO
WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT AS SHEAR OVER SE TX AND SRN LOUISIANA WILL
ALSO SUPPORT TORNADO DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING. STORMS ENDING
OVER SE TX AND EXTREME SW LA AROUND MIDNIGHT AND AFTER MIDNIGHT
FOR S-CNTRL LA.

UPPER LVL LOW LOOKS TO GET A KICK OFF TO THE EAST AS NRN JET DROPS
DOWN INTO SOUTHERN PLAINS STATES TOMORROW. THIS WILL PUSH THROUGH
A FRONTAL SYSTEM FINALLY DRYING OUT SE TX TMRW MRNG AND SRN LA BY
THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  66  80  56  76  52 /  80  10  10   0   0
KBPT  65  81  56  76  52 /  80  10  10   0   0
KAEX  65  78  53  72  48 /  80  10  10   0   0
KLFT  66  80  56  75  50 /  80  20  10   0   0

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: ALLEN...BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...RAPIDES...VERNON.

TX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: HARDIN...JASPER...JEFFERSON...NEWTON...ORANGE...
     TYLER.

GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM CDT SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: CALCASIEU LAKE...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...SABINE LAKE...VERMILION BAY...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.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 18, 5:46 AM CDT, 14 hours 58 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
546 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-
TXZ180>182-201-215-216-191100-
SABINE LAKE-CALCASIEU LAKE-VERMILION BAY-
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-
546 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

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
STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST THROUGH TONIGHT. ANOTHER
DISTURBANCE ALOFT WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA...PRODUCING NUMEROUS
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL BEGIN DURING THE
MORNING...INCREASING DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.
STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. THE PRIMARY
SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL AND POSSIBLY
ISOLATED TORNADOES.

THERE IS ALSO A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING...MAINLY NORTH AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM BEAUMONT TEXAS AND LAKE CHARLES LOUISIANA TO
ALEXANDRIA LOUISIANA. DEEP COPIOUS MOISTURE IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE
REGION...AND STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL. WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED
THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES IN
AREAS WHERE TRAINING OF STORMS OCCURS.

LASTLY...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
WATERS FROM 20 TO 60 NM OUT. WINDS AROUND 20 KNOTS THIS MORNING
WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE TODAY...BUT SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN
ELEVATED BETWEEN 5 AND 8 FEET. IN ADDITION...WINDS AND SEAS WILL
BE HIGHER NEAR SHOWERS AND STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH ON SUNDAY...PUSHING THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OFF TO THE EAST. DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL
FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 18, 7:47 PM CDT, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
747 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

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

0717 PM     FLASH FLOOD      LAKE CHARLES            30.21N 93.20W
04/18/2009                   CALCASIEU          LA   NWS EMPLOYEE

            RYAN STREET AND COMMON STREET HAVE WATER ON THEM AND ARE
            NEARLY IMPASSABLE WITH WATER OVER THE CURBS.

&&

JSWEENEY

Local storm report, Apr 18, 7:48 PM CDT, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
748 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

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

0715 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 N OPELOUSAS           30.57N 92.08W
04/18/2009                   ST. LANDRY         LA   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTS TREE DOWN ON HIGHWAY 182 3 MILES NORTH OF
            OPELOUSAS. POSSIBLE TORNADO.

&&

JNUNN

Local storm report, Apr 18, 7:50 PM CDT, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
750 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

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

0736 PM     FLASH FLOOD      SULPHUR                 30.23N 93.36W
04/18/2009                   CALCASIEU          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SULPHUR PD REPORTING STREET FLOODING. REPORT RELAYED BY
            KPLC TV.

&&

JNUNN

Local storm report, Apr 18, 7:56 PM CDT, 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
756 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

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

0756 PM     FLASH FLOOD      WEST ORANGE             30.08N 93.76W
04/18/2009                   ORANGE             TX   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTS FLOOD WATER ENTERING HOMES.

&&

MGRIFFIN

Local storm report, Apr 18, 8:22 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
822 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

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

0822 PM     FLASH FLOOD      OPELOUSAS               30.52N 92.08W
04/18/2009                   ST. LANDRY         LA   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTS ABOUT A FOOT OF WATER OVER HWY 182 NEAR
            OPELOUSAS.

&&

MGRIFFIN

Local storm report, Apr 18, 8:39 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
839 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009

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

0839 PM     FLASH FLOOD      PORT ARTHUR             29.90N 93.93W
04/18/2009                   JEFFERSON          TX   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTS CARS STALLED AND SUBMERGED ON JIMMY
            JOHNSON RD BETWEEN HWY 347 AND 9TH AVE.

&&

MGRIFFIN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 18, 7:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen, Evangeline	23 min
Apr 18, 7:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	30 min
Apr 18, 7:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Saint Landry	30 min
Apr 18, 8:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	32 min
Apr 18, 8:31 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	3 hr
Apr 18, 8:49 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Calcasieu	37 hr
Apr 18, 9:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	25 min
Apr 18, 9:06 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		114 min
Apr 18, 10:22 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Acadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry	113 min
Apr 18, 10:41 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Vermilion	22 hr
Apr 18, 10:56 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		109 min
Apr 19, 12:39 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		2 hr
Apr 19, 1:22 AM CDT	Marine Weather Statement	LCH		98 min
Apr 19, 2:50 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		115 min
Apr 19, 3:32 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Acadia, Jefferson Davis	8 days
Apr 19, 5:53 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		97 min
Apr 19, 8:02 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LCH	Beauregard	69 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2009 Every tornado warning in 2009 Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.