Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 42, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 12, 2017Beauregard Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at May 12, 2017, 3:57 AM CDT for Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 22 min. 2 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: May 12, 2017, 3:57 AM CDT (08:57 UTC)
Expired: May 12, 2017, 4:19 AM CDT
In force: 22 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Beauregard Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:59 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 12, 4:06 AM CDT	TORNADO 1	3 N Fields, LA	STORM SURVEY FINDS PEAK WINDS ESTIMATED AROUND 105 MPH WITH EF1 TORNADO DAMAGE BEGINING AROUND RAYMOND SPIKES ROAD AND ENDING AFTER CROSSING HIGHWAY 109 AROUND LUCY LANE NORTH OF THE FIELDS AREA. PATH LENGTH WAS 3.2 MILES AND LASTED AROUND 6 MINUTES. DAMAGE WA
May 12, 4:08 AM CDT	TORNADO	4 Nne Fields, LA	STORM SURVEY FINDS EF1 TORNADO DAMAGE AROUND RAYMOND SPIKES ROAD. MAINLY DOWNED TREES.

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, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 63 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: 9 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -418 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1324 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 54 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

211 
WFUS54 KLCH 120857
TORLCH
LAC011-120930-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0042.170512T0857Z-170512T0930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
357 AM CDT FRI MAY 12 2017

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Beauregard Parish in southwestern Louisiana...

* Until 430 AM CDT
    
* At 356 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Bancroft, or near Fields, moving east at 20 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado. 

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely. 

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Bivens around 405 AM CDT. 
  Fields around 410 AM CDT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night. Do not
wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 3051 9345 3052 9369 3059 9370 3059 9368
      3061 9368 3068 9346
TIME...MOT...LOC 0856Z 262DEG 17KT 3056 9364 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

13

2 follow-up statements

009 
WWUS54 KLCH 120908
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
408 AM CDT FRI MAY 12 2017

LAC011-120930-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0042.000000T0000Z-170512T0930Z/
Beauregard LA-
408 AM CDT FRI MAY 12 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 AM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN BEAUREGARD PARISH...
    
At 407 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Fields, moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado. 

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely. 

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
southwestern Beauregard Parish.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night. Do not
wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 3052 9362 3062 9363 3068 9346 3051 9345
TIME...MOT...LOC 0907Z 261DEG 23KT 3058 9356 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

13

371 
WWUS54 KLCH 120919
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
419 AM CDT FRI MAY 12 2017

LAC011-120929-
/O.CAN.KLCH.TO.W.0042.000000T0000Z-170512T0930Z/
Beauregard LA-
419 AM CDT FRI MAY 12 2017

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN BEAUREGARD PARISH IS
CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore the warning has been cancelled.

LAT...LON 3052 9362 3062 9363 3068 9346 3051 9345
TIME...MOT...LOC 0918Z 262DEG 17KT 3059 9349 

$$

13

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 12, 5:45 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Acadia	45 min
May 12, 7:09 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		66 min
May 12, 9:39 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Vermilion	39 hr
May 12, 10:06 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Assumption	39 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2017 Every tornado warning in 2017 Tornadoes in 2017

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.