Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 58, NWS Lake Charles, LA

October 18, 2012Rapides Parish, Vernon Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Oct 18, 2012, 12:34 AM CDT for Rapides Parish, Vernon Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 26 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
Oct 18, 2012, 12:34 AM CDT (05:34 UTC)
Expired
Oct 18, 2012, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Rapides Parish, LA, Vernon Parish, LA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Oct 18, 12:40 AM CDTTSTM WND DMG3 N Lacamp, LADOWNED TREES CAUSED TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.

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, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 127 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 2012-10-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2250 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 2012-10-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 176 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
2250 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
575 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
176 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
254 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.2
Supercell composite
11.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

782 
WFUS54 KLCH 180534
TORLCH
LAC079-115-180600-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0058.121018T0534Z-121018T0600Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1234 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL RAPIDES PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  NORTHEASTERN VERNON PARISH IN WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

* UNTIL 100 AM CDT

* AT 1229 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR CLIFTON...
  MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  LACAMP BY 1240 AM CDT...
  SIEPER BY 1245 AM CDT...
  LEANDER BY 1250 AM CDT...
  OTIS BY 1255 AM CDT...

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.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3120 9266 3105 9291 3126 9305 3136 9289
TIME...MOT...LOC 0534Z 314DEG 21KT 3123 9288

$$
1 follow-up statement
780 
WWUS54 KLCH 180544
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1244 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012

LAC079-115-180600-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0058.000000T0000Z-121018T0600Z/
RAPIDES LA-VERNON LA-
1244 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM CDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL VERNON AND WEST CENTRAL RAPIDES PARISHES...

AT 1243 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
TORNADO ON RADAR.  THIS RADAR INDICATED TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR
SIEPER..MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  OTIS BY 1250 AM CDT...
  HINESTON BY 1255 AM CDT...

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.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN THE INTERIOR HALLWAY OR
A ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF A STURDY BUILDING. USE
BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

IF YOU ARE INSIDE A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...EVACUATE THEM
IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING. AS A LAST
RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR
HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

&&

LAT...LON 3120 9300 3132 9285 3130 9280 3120 9266
      3107 9288
TIME...MOT...LOC 0544Z 309DEG 23KT 3119 9283

$$

JT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 18, 12:48 AM CDTTornado WarningLCHRapides27 min
Oct 18, 12:58 AM CDTTornado WarningLCHRapides, Vernon32 min
Oct 18, 1:06 AM CDTTornado WarningLCHAvoyelles, Rapides24 min
Oct 18, 1:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAllen, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides, Vernon53 min
Oct 18, 1:35 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHAllen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Evangeline55 min
Oct 18, 1:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAvoyelles, Saint Landry56 min
Oct 18, 2:39 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHAllen, Evangeline, Saint Landry66 min
Oct 18, 2:50 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHCalcasieu55 min
Oct 18, 2:55 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningLCH65 min
Oct 18, 3:26 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHAcadia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette64 min
Oct 18, 4:24 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHLafayette, Vermilion66 min
Oct 18, 5:25 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHIberia, Vermilion65 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes 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.