Alert archive / Louisiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 10, NWS Lake Charles, LA

March 12, 2012Acadia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at Mar 12, 2012, 8:51 AM CDT for Acadia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 3 hr. 8 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 12, 2012, 8:51 AM CDT (13:51 UTC)
Expired
Mar 12, 2012, 12:00 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

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

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 119 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:50 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 12, 10:08 AM CDTFLASH FLOODCarencro, LACARENCRO POLICE REPORTING SEVERAL HOUSES FLOODED. EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO RESCUE INDIVIDUALS.
Mar 12, 10:19 AM CDTFLASH FLOOD3 Nw Carencro, LAWATER RESCUES UNDERWAY FOR STUDENTS ON A BUS.
Mar 12, 10:42 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 10.095 Sw Arnaudville, LATHE USGS GAGE AT BAYOU VERMILION RIVER NEAR CARENCRO...BVCL1...REPORTING 10.09 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN THE LAST 6 HOURS.
Mar 12, 10:49 AM CDTFLASH FLOOD1 E Sunset, LAI-49 NORTH IS CLOSED TO TRAFFIC AT LA 182 AND I-49 SOUTH IS CLOSED TO TRAFFIC AT LA 93 DUE TO WATER OVER THE ROADWAY.
Mar 12, 10:49 AM CDTFLASH FLOOD1 Wnw Carencro, LACARENCRO CATHOLIC REPORTING FLOOD DAMAGE TO BUILDING.
Mar 12, 11:03 AM CDTHEAVY RAIN 10.5Carencro, LACRCL1...THE CO-OP OBSERVER AT CARENCRO RECORDED 10.50 INCHES OF RAINFALL SO FAR THIS MORNING.
Mar 12, 12:05 PM CDTFLASH FLOOD3 Se Carencro, LAREPORTS THAT ACADIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS WATER IN SOME OF THE CLASSROOMS DUE TO THE FLOODING.
Mar 12, 12:10 PM CDTHEAVY RAIN 11.615 Sw Arnaudville, LATHE USGS GAGE AT BAYOU VERMILION NEAR CARENCRO...BVCL1...HAS RECORDED 11.61 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE ROUGHLY 6 AM THIS MORNING.

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 12:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 117 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 2012-03-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1900 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 2012-03-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 111 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1900 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
441 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
116 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.8
Supercell composite
4.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

850 
WGUS54 KLCH 121351
FFWLCH
LAC001-055-097-121700-
/O.NEW.KLCH.FF.W.0010.120312T1351Z-120312T1700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
851 AM CDT MON MAR 12 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL ACADIA PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  NORTHERN LAFAYETTE PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  SOUTH CENTRAL ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

* UNTIL NOON CDT

* AT 848 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE      
  WARNED AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. 

* RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
  OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...
  CARENCRO...CHURCH POINT...CANKTON...GRAND COTEAU...MIRE AND SUNSET.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED 
AREA.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3039 9193 3041 9197 3038 9199 3037 9198
      3036 9195 3032 9197 3029 9195 3026 9202
      3026 9225 3044 9225 3043 9193

$$

MM
1 follow-up statement
109 
WGUS74 KLCH 121522
FFSLCH

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1022 AM CDT MON MAR 12 2012

LAC001-055-097-121700-
/O.CON.KLCH.FF.W.0010.000000T0000Z-120312T1700Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
ST. LANDRY LA-LAFAYETTE LA-ACADIA LA-
1022 AM CDT MON MAR 12 2012

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL ACADIA...
NORTHERN LAFAYETTE AND SOUTH CENTRAL ST. LANDRY PARISHES UNTIL NOON
CDT...

AT 1012 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. 
EXTREME RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES HAS BEEN ESTIMATED BY 
RADAR. THE CITY OF CARENCRO HAS RECEIVED NEAR 12 INCHES. 

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO
OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING INCLUDE...
CARENCRO...CHURCH POINT...CANKTON...GRAND COTEAU...MIRE AND SUNSET.

THE CARENCRO CITY POLICE REPORT SEVERAL HOMES FLOODED AND ARE IN THE 
PROCESS OF COORDINATING RESCUES. ADDITIONALLY...NUMEROUS STREETS ARE 
FLOODED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY CONTINUES TO BACK-BUILD AND WILL TRAIN 
ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. THIS HAS EVOLVED INTO AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS 
WEATHER SITUATION WITH ADDED RAINS UP TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE. 

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3039 9193 3041 9197 3038 9199 3037 9198
      3036 9195 3032 9197 3029 9195 3026 9202
      3026 9225 3044 9225 3043 9193

$$

MM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 11, 7:41 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH64 min
Mar 11, 8:02 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLCHCalcasieu88 min
Mar 11, 8:16 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHRapides29 min
Mar 11, 9:12 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH63 min
Mar 11, 9:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHRapides56 min
Mar 11, 9:28 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHCameron, Jefferson Davis32 min
Mar 11, 9:42 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHJefferson Davis33 min
Mar 11, 10:06 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHJefferson Davis24 min
Mar 11, 10:20 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHJefferson Davis25 min
Mar 11, 10:39 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHAcadia, Jefferson Davis36 min
Mar 11, 11:11 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHVermilion34 min
Mar 11, 11:13 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHAcadia, Evangeline, Saint Landry31 min
Mar 11, 11:33 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH57 min
Mar 11, 11:42 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHVermilion33 min
Mar 11, 11:54 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLCHAcadia, Jefferson Davis3 hr
Mar 12, 12:02 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHAcadia58 min
Mar 12, 12:13 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHVermilion62 min
Mar 12, 12:16 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH59 min
Mar 12, 12:50 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLCHAcadia, Evangeline, Saint Landry3 hr
Mar 12, 12:52 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHSaint Martin38 min
Mar 12, 1:12 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHSaint Landry48 min
Mar 12, 1:42 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLCHIberia, St. Mary4 hr
Mar 12, 2:23 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHSaint Martin67 min
Mar 12, 3:06 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningLCHIberia3 hr
Mar 12, 7:48 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHSaint Landry57 min
Mar 12, 9:48 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHSaint Landry, Saint Martin3 hr
Mar 12, 10:59 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningLCHLafayette, Vermilion35 hr
Mar 12, 11:14 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningLCHAcadia48 hr
Mar 12, 11:26 AM CDTAreal Flood Warning EmergencyLCHAcadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin12 hr
Mar 12, 11:28 AM CDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyLCHAcadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin6 hr
Mar 12, 11:36 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningLCHAcadia, Jefferson Davis8 days
Mar 12, 1:41 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHLafayette64 min
Mar 12, 2:40 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryLCHEvangeline3 hr
Mar 12, 3:43 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHAllen, Evangeline4 hr
Mar 12, 5:30 PM CDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyLCHAcadia, Allen, Evangeline, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin6 hr
Mar 12, 6:18 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHAllen, Evangeline, Rapides, Vernon3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Louisiana, 2012Every flash flood warning in 2012

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.