Alert archive / Louisiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Lake Charles, LA

March 9, 2011Rapides Parish, Vernon Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at Mar 9, 2011, 1:32 AM CST for Rapides Parish, Vernon Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 3 hr. 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 9, 2011, 1:32 AM CST (07:32 UTC)
Expired: Mar 9, 2011, 4:30 AM CST
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Rapides Parish, LA, Vernon Parish, LA

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 9, 1:36 AM CST	FLASH FLOOD	9 Nnw Pitkin, LA	USGS STREAM GAGE NETWORK AT A LOW WATER CROSSING ALONG THE WEST FORK OF SIX MILE CREEK INDICATES WATER IS STILL TWO FEET OVER THE ROAD. WATER LEVELS HAVE PEAKED AND ARE BEGINNING TO RECEDE.

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, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 154 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: 2444 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 506 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 195 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 210 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 2.5
Supercell composite: 12.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

909 
WGUS54 KLCH 090732
FFWLCH
LAC079-115-091030-
/O.NEW.KLCH.FF.W.0003.110309T0732Z-110309T1030Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
132 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  RAPIDES PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  SOUTHEASTERN VERNON PARISH IN WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

* UNTIL 430 AM CST

* AT 123 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUING ACROSS THE       
  WARNED AREA. OVER THE PAST SIX HOURS 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS     
  FALLEN OVER THE AREA FROM NEAR CRAVENS EXTENDING NORTHEAST TO      
  ALEXANDRIA AND DEVILLE. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE HALF TO 
  ONE AND HALF INCES CAN BE EXPECTED. IN ADDITION RUNOFF FROM THE    
  PREVIOUS HEAVY RAINFALL IS STILL CONTINUING PER U.S. GEOLOGICAL    
  STREAM GAGE NETWORKS.    

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  ALEXANDRIA...ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...HINESTON...
  PINEVILLE...PITKIN...BALL...DEVILLE...ELMER...ESLER REGIONAL
  AIRPORT...FULLERTON...HOLLOWAY...KINGSVILLE...KOLIN...LEANDER...
  LIBUSE...OTIS...PARADISE...TIMBER TRAILS AND TIOGA.



PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

&&

LAT...LON 3147 9215 3141 9214 3136 9207 3134 9207
      3131 9212 3131 9216 3133 9218 3134 9221
      3125 9222 3087 9286 3088 9289 3104 9303
      3144 9245 3149 9220

$$

1 follow-up statement

526 
WGUS74 KLCH 090914
FFSLCH

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
314 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

LAC079-115-091030-
/O.CON.KLCH.FF.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110309T1030Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
RAPIDES LA-VERNON LA-
314 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN VERNON AND
RAPIDES PARISHES UNTIL 430 AM CST...

AT 259 AM CST...RADAR INDICATED ONLY A SCATTERED SHOWERS REMAINED 
OVER THE WARNED AREA. OVER THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF...RAINFALL 
AMOUNTS OF ONE HALF INCH OR LESS CAN BE EXPECTED. RAINFALL AMOUNTS 
RANGE FROM 2 TO 5 INCHES FROM ALEXANDRIA TO NEAR DEVILLE. TOTAL 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM THIS STORM SYSTEM HAVE BEEN 3 TO 7 INCHES IN A 
NARROW BAND THAT EXTENDS FROM NEAR PITKIN NORTHEAST TO ALEXANDRIA 
AND DEVILLE. 

SOME CREEKS AND STREAMS THAT ARE LIKELY FLOODED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT 
LIMITED TO DYSON CREEK...HAINES CREEK...LITTLE HORSEPEN 
CREEK...BOEUF BAYOU AND CASTOR CREEK IN RAPIDES PARISH. 

IN SOUTHEAST VERNON PARISH U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STREAM GAGE 
NETWORK INDICATES WATER LEVELS HAVE PEAKED IN THE UPPER REACHES OF 
THE SMALLER STREAMS...WHILE THE LARGER CREEKS CONTINUE TO RISE AS 
RUNOFF CONTINUES.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE...
ALEXANDRIA...ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...HINESTON...
PINEVILLE...PITKIN...BALL...DEVILLE...ELMER...ESLER REGIONAL
AIRPORT...FULLERTON...HOLLOWAY...KINGSVILLE...KOLIN...LEANDER...
LIBUSE...OTIS...PARADISE...TIMBER TRAILS AND TIOGA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLASH FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE
IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

&&

LAT...LON 3147 9215 3141 9214 3136 9207 3134 9207
      3131 9212 3131 9216 3133 9218 3134 9221
      3125 9222 3087 9286 3088 9289 3104 9303
      3144 9245 3149 9220

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 8, 6:26 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	LCH	Rapides	109 min
Mar 8, 6:33 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Rapides	42 min
Mar 8, 6:44 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Beauregard	61 min
Mar 8, 7:41 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Rapides	3 hr
Mar 8, 7:43 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Allen	62 min
Mar 8, 8:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Rapides, Vernon	59 min
Mar 8, 8:46 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides	29 min
Mar 8, 8:58 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides	47 min
Mar 8, 9:32 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Vernon	58 min
Mar 8, 9:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Rapides	30 min
Mar 8, 9:58 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vernon	62 min
Mar 8, 10:28 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Rapides, Vernon	3 hr
Mar 8, 11:36 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Rapides	39 min
Mar 9, 12:07 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Rapides	53 min
Mar 9, 12:11 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Rapides	34 min
Mar 9, 1:00 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Rapides	60 min
Mar 9, 1:20 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Avoyelles	40 min
Mar 9, 2:05 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Avoyelles	40 min
Mar 9, 3:13 AM CST	Small Craft Advisory	LCH		31 hr
Mar 9, 3:48 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Martin	42 min
Mar 9, 4:38 AM CST	Areal Flood Warning	LCH	Rapides	3 hr
Mar 9, 8:53 AM CST	Marine Dense Fog Advisory	LCH		9 hr
Mar 9, 11:20 AM CST	River Flood Warning	LCH	Allen, Rapides	53 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Louisiana, 2011 Every flash flood warning in 2011

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.