Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Lake Charles, LA

March 5, 20114 parishes in Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Mar 5, 2011, 9:52 AM CST for 4 parishes in Louisiana. It was in force for 38 min. 4 reports 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 5, 2011, 9:52 AM CST (15:52 UTC)
Expired
Mar 5, 2011, 10:30 AM CST
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Acadia Parish, LA, Lafayette Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA, Saint Martin Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 106 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:53 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 5, 10:00 AM CSTTSTM WND DMGRayne, LABUILDING DAMGE REPORTED BY LAFAYETTE SKYWARN SPOTTER NETWORK IN RAYNE. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
Mar 5, 10:00 AM CSTTORNADO 22 Wsw Rayne, LA*** 1 FATAL, 12 INJ *** NWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMS AN EF2 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN. THE TORNADO WAS 300 YARDS WIDE AND PRODUCED A DAMAGE PATH 5 MILES LONG. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE NORTHWEST SECTION OF RAYNE WITH AT LEAST 35 HOMES DAMAGED ALONG WITH SEVERAL BUSINESSES AND
Mar 5, 10:00 AM CSTTORNADORayne, LA*** 1 FATAL, 12 INJ *** LIKELY TORNADO. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE NORTHWEST SECTION OF RAYNE. CITY OF RAYNE POLICE CONFIRM 12 INJURIES...1 FATALITY. FATALITY WAS 21 YEAR OLD FEMALE PROTECTING DAUGHTER DURING STORM WHEN TREE FELL THROUGH HOUSE. NWS STORM SURVEY HAS NOT
Mar 5, 10:30 AM CSTHAIL 0.25Washington, LANWS STUDENT VOLUNTEER REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR WASHINGTON.

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 5, 8:54 AM CSTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 104 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 12:00Z on 2011-03-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 635 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 12:00Z on 2011-03-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 111 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
635 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-138 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
891 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
134 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
3.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

817 
WFUS54 KLCH 051552
TORLCH
LAC001-055-097-099-051630-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0003.110305T1552Z-110305T1630Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
952 AM CST SAT MAR 5 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...OPELOUSAS...LEONVILLE...ARNAUDVILLE...
  NORTHERN LAFAYETTE PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...SCOTT...LAFAYETTE...CARENCRO...
  NORTHWESTERN ST. MARTIN PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES BREAUX BRIDGE...
  ACADIA PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...RAYNE...CROWLEY...CHURCH POINT...

* UNTIL 1030 AM CST

* AT 948 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR CROWLEY...
  MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  RICHARD...BRANCH...DUSON...MIRE...CANKTON...LAWTELL...WASHINGTON...
  SUNSET...GRAND COTEAU AND CECILIA

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATES A TORNADO MAY FORM AT ANY
TIME. TAKE COVER NOW! ABANDON MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES. MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CST SATURDAY AFTERNOON
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA.

&&

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT
337-477-5285 EXTENSION 1.

LAT...LON 3065 9204 3023 9176 3013 9244 3030 9252
TIME...MOT...LOC 1552Z 248DEG 26KT 3025 9237

$$

MM
1 follow-up statement
660 
WWUS54 KLCH 051611
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1011 AM CST SAT MAR 5 2011

LAC001-055-097-099-051630-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110305T1630Z/
ST. LANDRY LA-LAFAYETTE LA-ACADIA LA-ST. MARTIN LA-
1011 AM CST SAT MAR 5 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 AM CST FOR
NORTHWESTERN ST. MARTIN...ACADIA...NORTHERN LAFAYETTE AND
SOUTHWESTERN ST. LANDRY PARISHES...

AT 1007 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR MIRE..MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
SCOTT...CANKTON...LAWTELL...LAFAYETTE...CARENCRO...SUNSET...GRAND
COTEAU...OPELOUSAS...WASHINGTON...LEONVILLE...CECILIA...BREAUX BRIDGE
AND ARNAUDVILLE

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CST SATURDAY AFTERNOON
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA.

&&

LAT...LON 3065 9204 3023 9176 3013 9244 3030 9252
TIME...MOT...LOC 1611Z 248DEG 33KT 3032 9214

$$

MM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 5, 12:27 AM CSTMarine Dense Fog AdvisoryLCH9 hr
Mar 5, 3:46 AM CSTSmall Craft AdvisoryLCH26 hr
Mar 5, 7:39 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningLCH66 min
Mar 5, 8:14 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion61 min
Mar 5, 8:40 AM CSTTornado WarningLCHAcadia, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion50 min
Mar 5, 9:11 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningLCH64 min
Mar 5, 9:32 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin58 min
Mar 5, 10:17 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningLCH58 min
Mar 5, 10:28 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementLCHSaint Martin, Vermilion62 min
Mar 5, 11:04 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningLCH86 min
Mar 5, 11:42 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHSaint Martin, St. Mary63 min
Mar 5, 11:53 AM CSTTornado WarningLCHSaint Martin, St. Mary52 min
Mar 5, 12:33 PM CSTSpecial Marine WarningLCH27 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.