Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 35, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 17, 2020Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2020, 7:54 PM CDT for Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 21 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: May 17, 2020, 7:54 PM CDT (00:54 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 2020, 8:15 PM CDT
In force: 21 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

Counties Evangeline Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA

The radar

The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:55 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 17, 8:00 PM CDT	TORNADO	3 Se Mamou, LA	MULTIPLE VIDEOS FROM THE PUBLIC OF A TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR MAMOU. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 251 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1472 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 176 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

756 
WFUS54 KLCH 180054
TORLCH
LAC039-097-180115-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0035.200518T0054Z-200518T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
754 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Evangeline Parish in central Louisiana...
  West central St. Landry Parish in central Louisiana...

* Until 815 PM CDT.
    
* At 754 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Mamou, moving southeast at 15 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...
  Eunice, Chataignier and Savoy around 815 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3057 9216 3048 9233 3048 9242 3065 9249
      3069 9239
TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 324DEG 14KT 3064 9241 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

24

1 follow-up statement

789 
WWUS54 KLCH 180109
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
809 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020

LAC039-097-180115-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0035.000000T0000Z-200518T0115Z/
Evangeline LA-St. Landry LA-
809 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN EVANGELINE AND WEST CENTRAL ST. LANDRY PARISHES...
    
At 809 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Chataignier, or near Mamou, moving southeast 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...
  Eunice around 815 PM CDT.
  Savoy around 825 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3057 9216 3048 9233 3048 9242 3060 9243
      3064 9234
TIME...MOT...LOC 0109Z 329DEG 18KT 3057 9236 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

24

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 17, 7:15 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Lafayette	45 min
May 17, 7:18 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Landry	42 min
May 17, 7:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Evangeline	24 min
May 17, 7:23 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Vernon	52 min
May 17, 7:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Allen	20 min
May 17, 7:58 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Allen	47 min
May 17, 8:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Evangeline, Saint Landry	18 min
May 17, 8:33 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Lafayette	27 min
May 17, 8:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry	33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2020 Every tornado warning in 2020 Tornadoes in 2020

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.