Alert archive / Louisiana / Red Flag Warnings in 2023

Red Flag Warning 14, NWS Lake Charles, LA

October 5, 202316 parishes in Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this red flag warning at Oct 5, 2023, 3:13 PM CDT for 16 parishes in Louisiana. It took effect at Oct 7, 2023, 11:00 AM CDT. It was in force for 8 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Oct 5, 2023, 3:13 PM CDT (20:13 UTC)
In effect from: Oct 7, 2023, 11:00 AM CDT
Expired: Oct 7, 2023, 7:00 PM CDT
In force: 8 hr
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA

Counties Acadia Parish, LA, Allen Parish, LA, Avoyelles Parish, LA, Beauregard Parish, LA, Calcasieu Parish, LA, Cameron Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Iberia Parish, LA, Jefferson Davis Parish, LA, Lafayette Parish, LA, Rapides Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA, Saint Martin Parish, LA, St. Mary Parish, LA, Vermilion Parish, LA, Vernon Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:15 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 76 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: 774 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 809 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 142 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 219 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.6
Supercell composite: 5.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this red flag warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this red flag warning went out at Oct 5, 12:34 PM CDT, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 5, 12:34 PM CDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 5, 9:25 AM CDT, 5 hours 48 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
925 AM CDT Thu Oct 5 2023

LAZ141-142-241-242-051500-
Southern Calcasieu LA-Southern Jefferson Davis LA-
Northern Calcasieu LA-Northern Jefferson Davis LA-
925 AM CDT Thu Oct 5 2023

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN JEFFERSON DAVIS AND
SOUTHEASTERN CALCASIEU PARISHES THROUGH 1000 AM CDT...

At 924 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm
capable of producing a landspout near Carlyss, or near Sulphur,
moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Landspouts and wind gusts up to 40 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Gusty winds
         could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured
         objects.

Locations impacted include...
Lake Charles, Sulphur, Westlake, Iowa, Lake Charles Regional Airport,
Carlyss, Holmwood, and Bell City.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 10 in Louisiana between mile markers 19 and 45.
 Interstate 210 between mile markers 1 and 12.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 3007 9345 3022 9341 3029 9297 3004 9295
TIME...MOT...LOC 1424Z 260DEG 19KT 3015 9332

LANDSPOUT...POSSIBLE
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

Denson

Special weather statement, Oct 5, 9:35 AM CDT, 5 hours 38 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
935 AM CDT Thu Oct 5 2023

LAZ074-051500-
East Cameron LA-
935 AM CDT Thu Oct 5 2023

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN CAMERON PARISH
THROUGH 1000 AM CDT...

At 935 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm
capable of producing a landspout 7 miles southeast of Grand Chenier,
moving northeast at 5 mph.

HAZARD...Landspouts and wind gusts up to 40 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Gusty winds
         could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured
         objects.

This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southeastern
Cameron Parish.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 2970 9293 2981 9288 2972 9273 2966 9286
TIME...MOT...LOC 1435Z 211DEG 6KT 2967 9290

LANDSPOUT...POSSIBLE
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

Denson

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Oct 5, 5:47 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Vernon	28 min
Oct 5, 9:25 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Calcasieu	35 min
Oct 5, 9:35 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Cameron	25 min
Oct 5, 10:24 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Cameron	21 min
Oct 5, 3:13 PM CDT	Coastal Flood Advisory	LCH	Iberia, St. Mary, Vermilion	15 hr
Oct 5, 3:13 PM CDT	Fire Weather Watch	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and 10 more	23 hr
Oct 4, 9:06 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Orange	38 hr
Oct 5, 6:42 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Hardin	33 min
Oct 5, 7:56 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Hardin	34 min
Oct 5, 9:43 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Jefferson, Orange	3 hr

Nearby

Red Flag Warnings in Louisiana, 2023 Every red flag warning in 2023

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.