Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 85, NWS Lake Charles, LA

December 23, 2020Rapides Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Dec 23, 2020, 8:11 PM CST for Rapides Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 34 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: Dec 23, 2020, 8:11 PM CST (02:11 UTC)
Expired: Dec 23, 2020, 8:45 PM CST
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Rapides Parish, LA

The radar

The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 36 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:09 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

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 133 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: 666 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 660 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 227 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 226 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.0
Supercell composite: 4.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

524 
WFUS54 KLCH 240211
TORLCH
LAC079-240245-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0085.201224T0211Z-201224T0245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
811 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Rapides Parish in central Louisiana...

* Until 845 PM CST.
    
* At 811 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Otis, or near Hineston, moving east 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...
  Alexandria International Airport around 835 PM CST.
  Pineville and Kingsville around 845 PM CST.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Woodworth.

This includes Interstate 49 between mile markers 71 and 91.
 
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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3109 9275 3127 9280 3140 9238 3113 9231
TIME...MOT...LOC 0211Z 257DEG 25KT 3120 9270 

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

$$

13

2 follow-up statements

415 
WWUS54 KLCH 240225
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
825 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020

LAC079-240245-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0085.000000T0000Z-201224T0245Z/
Rapides LA-
825 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CST FOR CENTRAL
RAPIDES PARISH...
    
At 825 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Alexandria International Airport, moving northeast
at 35 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...
  Alexandria around 830 PM CST.
  Tioga around 840 PM CST.
  Pineville, Kingsville and Paradise around 845 PM CST.
  Ball around 850 PM CST.

This includes Interstate 49 between mile markers 74 and 91.
 
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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3117 9264 3130 9269 3131 9267 3140 9238
      3117 9232
TIME...MOT...LOC 0225Z 246DEG 32KT 3125 9256 

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

$$

13

013 
WWUS54 KLCH 240235
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
835 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020

LAC079-240245-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0085.000000T0000Z-201224T0245Z/
Rapides LA-
835 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CST FOR CENTRAL
RAPIDES PARISH...
    
At 835 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Alexandria, moving east at 35 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...
  Pineville, Kingsville, Paradise and Tioga around 845 PM CST.
  Ball around 850 PM CST.

This includes Interstate 49 between mile markers 77 and 91.
 
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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3120 9255 3133 9261 3140 9238 3120 9233
TIME...MOT...LOC 0235Z 250DEG 29KT 3129 9248 

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

$$

13

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 23, 7:12 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard	33 min
Dec 23, 7:18 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Grant	42 min
Dec 23, 8:45 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Rapides	18 min
Dec 23, 8:55 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides, Vernon	35 min
Dec 23, 9:24 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides	36 min
Dec 23, 9:48 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Avoyelles	42 min
Dec 23, 9:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Avoyelles	46 min
Dec 24, 12:37 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	St. Mary	23 min
Dec 24, 12:41 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Martin	34 min
Dec 24, 12:55 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Martin	35 min
Dec 24, 9:53 AM CST	Wind Advisory	LCH	Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Evangeline, Rapides, Saint Landry and 1 more	8 hr

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.