Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 36, NWS Lake Charles, LA

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

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2020, 8:14 PM CDT for Acadia Parish, Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 18 min. 5 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 17, 2020, 8:14 PM CDT (01:14 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2020, 8:32 PM CDT
In force
18 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Acadia Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:15 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
May 17, 8:30 PM CDTTORNADO3 Nw Church Point, LA*** 1 FATAL, 9 INJ *** HOME ON PILINGS WAS FLIPPED ON THE 1100TH BLOCK OF PRUDENCE HWY. RICHARD FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS ONE FATALITY. LOUISIANA EOC REPORTS 9 INJURIES AND SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. 2 CARS PICKED UP AND FLIPPED OVER.
May 17, 8:30 PM CDTTORNADO3 Nw Church Point, LA*** 1 FATAL, 9 INJ *** MOBILE HOME WAS FLIPPED ON THE 1100TH BLOCK OF PRUDENCE HWY. RICHARD FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS ONE FATALITY. LOUISIANA EOC REPORTS 9 INJURIES AND SEVERAL HOMES DAMAGED.
May 17, 8:30 PM CDTTORNADO3 Nw Church Point, LA*** 1 FATAL *** MOBILE HOME WAS FLIPPED ON THE 1100TH BLOCK OF PRUDENCE HWY.
May 17, 8:35 PM CDTTORNADO2 N Church Point, LATRACTOR TRAILER FLIPPED OVER ON HWY 751 AND HWY 35.
May 17, 8:40 PM CDTTORNADO1 Nnw Church Point, LAMUTIPLE REPORTS OF TREES SNAPPED AND DOWNED POWER LINES.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2020-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 654 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2020-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -4 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
654 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1335 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

496 
WFUS54 KLCH 180114
TORLCH
LAC001-039-097-180145-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0036.200518T0114Z-200518T0145Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  South central Evangeline Parish in central Louisiana...
  Northeastern Acadia Parish in southwestern Louisiana...
  Southwestern St. Landry Parish in central Louisiana...

* Until 845 PM CDT.
    
* At 814 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Chataignier, or near Eunice, 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...
  Savoy around 820 PM CDT.
  Swords around 825 PM CDT.
  Richard around 835 PM CDT.
  Church Point and Branch around 845 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 3056 9240 3060 9231 3040 9210 3030 9231
TIME...MOT...LOC 0114Z 329DEG 18KT 3054 9234 

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

$$

24
1 follow-up statement
281 
WWUS54 KLCH 180132
SVSLCH

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

LAC001-039-097-180141-
/O.CAN.KLCH.TO.W.0036.000000T0000Z-200518T0145Z/
Evangeline LA-Acadia LA-St. Landry LA-
832 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL EVANGELINE...NORTHEASTERN
ACADIA AND SOUTHWESTERN ST. LANDRY PARISHES 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.  However gusty winds and
heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm.

LAT...LON 3056 9240 3060 9231 3040 9210 3030 9231
TIME...MOT...LOC 0130Z 329DEG 18KT 3046 9229 

$$

24

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 7:15 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHLafayette45 min
May 17, 7:18 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHSaint Landry42 min
May 17, 7:21 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHEvangeline24 min
May 17, 7:23 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHVernon52 min
May 17, 7:40 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHAllen20 min
May 17, 7:54 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHEvangeline, Saint Landry21 min
May 17, 7:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHAllen47 min
May 17, 8:33 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHLafayette27 min
May 17, 8:42 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHAcadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry33 min

Nearby

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