Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Lake Charles, LA

March 25, 2009Calcasieu Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Mar 25, 2009, 10:29 PM CDT for Calcasieu Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 31 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
Mar 25, 2009, 10:29 PM CDT (03:29 UTC)
Expired
Mar 25, 2009, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Calcasieu Parish, LA, Jefferson Davis Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 23 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:33 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 25, 10:40 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGMoss Bluff, LATREE BLOWN DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 171 1/2 MILE NORTH OF GILLIS.

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

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 25, 8:54 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 23 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 2009-03-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3131 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 2009-03-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 130 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
3131 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
474 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
130 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.5
Supercell composite
9.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KLCH 260329
TORLCH
LAC019-053-260400-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0004.090326T0329Z-090326T0400Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1029 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN CALCASIEU PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...   
   THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...MOSS BLUFF...GILLIS...IOWA...  
  WEST CENTRAL JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...

* UNTIL 1100 PM CDT

* AT 1026 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR GILLIS...OR
  6 MILES NORTHWEST OF MOSS BLUFF...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  MOSS BLUFF AND GILLIS BY 1035 PM CDT...
  IOWA BY 1100 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
NICKLE SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

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 ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 AM CDT
THURSDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA.

&&

LAT...LON 3033 9292 3016 9300 3031 9336 3040 9330
TIME...MOT...LOC 0329Z 292DEG 27KT 3034 9326

$$

SHAMBURGER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 25, 8:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHBeauregard, Vernon38 min
Mar 25, 9:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHBeauregard, Calcasieu48 min
Mar 25, 9:35 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHBeauregard, Calcasieu25 min
Mar 25, 10:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAllen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis49 min
Mar 25, 10:36 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH24 min
Mar 25, 10:55 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH35 min
Mar 25, 10:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion48 min
Mar 25, 11:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides, Saint Landry43 min
Mar 25, 11:30 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH45 min
Mar 25, 11:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Saint Martin and 1 more47 min
Mar 25, 11:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAvoyelles, Saint Landry30 min
Mar 26, 12:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCameron, Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Martin, St. Mary, Vermilion59 min
Mar 26, 12:38 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH67 min
Mar 26, 1:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHIberia, Saint Martin, St. Mary, Vermilion62 min
Mar 26, 1:46 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH44 min
Mar 26, 9:48 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningLCHBeauregard, Calcasieu13 days
Mar 26, 4:25 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHAcadia, Allen, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, Saint Landry35 min
Mar 26, 4:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia, Evangeline, Saint Landry61 min
Mar 26, 5:25 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH65 min
Mar 26, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAllen, Evangeline, Rapides, Vernon61 min
Mar 26, 5:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVernon63 min
Mar 26, 5:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia, Allen, Evangeline, Saint Landry42 min
Mar 26, 5:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAvoyelles, Saint Landry50 min
Mar 26, 6:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVernon44 min
Mar 26, 6:12 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH63 min
Mar 26, 6:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVernon64 min
Mar 26, 6:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCalcasieu63 min

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.