Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 37, NWS Lake Charles, LA

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

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2020, 8:42 PM CDT for Acadia Parish, Lafayette Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 33 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 2020, 8:42 PM CDT (01:42 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2020, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

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

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:45 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 241 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.

371 
WFUS54 KLCH 180142
TORLCH
LAC001-055-097-180215-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0037.200518T0142Z-200518T0215Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Lafayette Parish in south central Louisiana...
  Northeastern Acadia Parish in southwestern Louisiana...
  South central St. Landry Parish in central Louisiana...

* Until 915 PM CDT.
    
* At 840 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Church Point, moving south 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...
  Church Point around 850 PM CDT.
  Branch around 855 PM CDT.
  Cankton around 905 PM CDT.
  Scott, Carencro, Duson and Mire around 915 PM CDT.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 10 in Louisiana between mile markers 91 and 99.
 Interstate 49 between mile markers 1 and 3.

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 3046 9231 3051 9218 3027 9200 3020 9221
TIME...MOT...LOC 0140Z 337DEG 14KT 3043 9223 

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

$$

Stigger 87
1 follow-up statement
688 
WWUS54 KLCH 180203
SVSLCH

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

LAC001-055-097-180215-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0037.000000T0000Z-200518T0215Z/
Lafayette LA-Acadia LA-St. Landry LA-
903 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN LAFAYETTE...EAST CENTRAL ACADIA AND SOUTHWESTERN ST.
LANDRY PARISHES...
    
At 902 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Mire, or near Scott, moving southeast at 30 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...
  Scott around 910 PM CDT.
  Lafayette around 920 PM CDT.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 10 in Louisiana between mile markers 91 and 99.
 Interstate 49 between mile markers 1 and 3.

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 3035 9226 3040 9211 3027 9200 3020 9221
TIME...MOT...LOC 0202Z 333DEG 25KT 3029 9214 

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

$$

Stigger 87

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, 8:14 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHAcadia, Evangeline, Saint Landry18 min
May 17, 8:33 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHLafayette27 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.