Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2024

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 142, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 13, 2024Cameron Parish, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 13, 2024, 5:23 PM CDT for Cameron Parish, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 67 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 13, 2024, 5:23 PM CDT (22:23 UTC)
Expired: May 13, 2024, 6:30 PM CDT
In force: 67 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Cameron Parish, LA, Vermilion Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:25 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 13, 1:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 54 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: 2954 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 572 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 34 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 105 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.4
Supercell composite: 5.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 13, 3:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 3:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
358 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION, MARINE...

.SHORT TERM...
(Tonight through Wednesday night)
Issued at 235 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

Forecast remains on track this afternoon as MCS is gaining steam
across SETX. We are starting to see the rear inflow jet descend
into the backside of the line with multiple bowing segments
evident on radar. This will quickly shift us from hail threat to
wind threat. It is quite possible, fairly widespread wind damage
could accompany this MCS as it pushes east into 3000-4500 j/kg
MLCAPE. We could see some significant wind gusts upwards of 65kts
localized across the areas as well. With the sufficient shear and
deep unidirectional flow parallel to the bndry layer, this MCS
should track across the I-10 corridor. Any large hail will be from
supercells anchoring along the bndry and/or cell mergers, before
they merge into the main MCS.

Flash flood threat remains, especially on the northern flank
where some areas are seeing 1-2hrs of very heavy to intense
rainfall rates. This will continue along the bndry, but flash
flood threat along the main MCS will be more so from intense
rainfall rates in urban areas. HREF LPMM continues to show areas
approaching 5 or 6 inches of rain generally along/north of I-10 to
US 190.

The threat for a tornado or two remains possible, but will be
confined to circulations along the MCS as it marches east.

It will take some time for the MCS to finally exit the region,
with lingering stratiform rain/gusty winds in the wake of the
MCS. By 06Z, much of the activity should be east of the CWA, but
some uncertainty remains as to timing.

The rest of Tuesday and Wednesday will be dry and warm/muggy.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Thursday through next Sunday)
Issued at 235 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

Moving forward into Thursday notable low-level subsidence will be
present over SETX / SWLA throughout the morning while the upper
level flow carries a slight amplification along the southern Plains
and Mississippi Valley. Meanwhile, a partially cutoff shortwave
from the northern stream pattern over the Four Corners regions
quickly begins to merge into the pattern north allowing a narrow
neck of speed divergence over Texas to develop surface troughing
across the state and TX/LA Gulf Coast by the end of the day. There
has been much variability in the signals of specific QPF. Previous
analysis suggested a surface low shifting inland from the SW below
the ARKLATEX region generating shower / thunderstorm activity along
the sfc low and associated warm front lifting NE over the
Mississippi Valley through Friday evening.

The region of divergence aloft is very progressive across the
Mississippi into the SE CONUS with the aforementioned weak surface
low moving off the Delaware Capes by Saturday, however, with only
broad ridging suggested in the wake of the system, the potential for
isolated to scattered POPs remains unsettled over lower SETX and
SWLA with a stalled frontal boundary that could easily interact with
minor perturbations aloft. Overall, this transitioning pattern,
though still unsettled, does not indicate signal of significant
weather headlines Friday through the upcoming weekend. This analysis
of the forecast is congruent with the SPC understanding of no severe
weather risks in the day 4-8 outlook. Convective modes of hazardous
weather aside, it is worth noting given the variance of guidance
with the recently experienced wet pattern, portions of SETX and SWLA
carry both a Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall Thursday – Friday
night- ending Saturday morning. Thus, the big picture in the long
term is determining further rainfall on top of already well
saturated soils.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 235 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

VCTS shifting toward BPT and SETX through early afternoon with LCH
and AEX to follow shortly during the mid to late afternoon.
Conditions will periodically limit VIS to LIFR near and in heavy
thunderstorms but otherwise trend MVFR ceilings outside of storms
throughout the evening. Sites LFT and ARA will trend to similar
conditions with 2-3 hour later offset compared to SETX. Do note,
convective storms will likely bring +TSRA conditions periodically to
all site through 14th / 0800Z before shifting east leaving low MVFR
/ IFR ceiling leading into daybreak. Shortly after, dry air will mix
these conditions out to VFR with skies clearing into the midday
hours.

30

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 235 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

Moderate southerly winds will continue into the evening hours
ahead of a quasi-stationary boundary extending along the TX / LA
Gulf Coast. Shower and thunderstorm chances should increase west
to east through tonight, with a few strong to severe storms
likely. Heavy rainfall rates are likely over the coastal water
through midnight into Tuesday which will severely reduce
visibility at times amidst strong thunderstorm gusts. Winds will
shift westerly on Tuesday, then offshore Tuesday night with the
passage of a weak cold front. Winds will gradually veer back
southeast by Wednesday night, with rain chances returning by
Thursday as another low pressure system approaches the area.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AEX  64  86  61  88 /  60   0   0   0
LCH  67  88  65  89 /  70   0   0   0
LFT  70  89  68  90 /  70  10   0   0
BPT  68  89  66  89 /  60   0   0   0

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for LAZ027>033-044-045-
     141>143-152-153-241>243.

TX...Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for TXZ180-201-259>262-515-
     516-615-616.

GM...None.

&&

SHORT TERM...78
LONG TERM....78/30
AVIATION...78

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 13, 5:02 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
502 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0447 PM     High Sust Winds  5 S Lake Charles        30.13N 93.22W
05/13/2024  M60 MPH          Calcasieu          LA   ASOS

            ASOS station KLCH Lake Charles.

&&

Local storm report, May 13, 5:03 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
503 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0453 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     3 E Lake Charles        30.22N 93.15W
05/13/2024  M52 MPH          Calcasieu          LA   AWOS

            AWOS station KCWF Chenault Lk Chas.

&&

Local storm report, May 13, 5:04 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
504 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0430 PM     Marine Tstm Wind 5 SE Sabine Pass        29.68N 93.84W
05/13/2024  M44 MPH          GMZ450             TX   Buoy

            Buoy station TXPT2 Texas Point, TX.

&&

Local storm report, May 13, 5:14 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
514 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0443 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 WSW Westlake          30.24N 93.27W
05/13/2024                   Calcasieu          LA   Amateur Radio

            damage reported on OST.

&&

Local storm report, May 13, 5:16 PM CDT, 7 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
516 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0444 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 ENE Sulphur           30.23N 93.33W
05/13/2024                   Calcasieu          LA   Emergency Mngr

            Significant damage at Wal-Mart area in
            Sulphur. Possible tornado.

&&

Local storm report, May 13, 5:22 PM CDT, 1 minute before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
522 PM CDT Mon May 13 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0447 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 SE Westlake           30.24N 93.25W
05/13/2024                   Calcasieu          LA   Emergency Mngr

            Overturned truck on I-10.

&&

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 12, 9:45 PM CDT	River Flood Watch	LCH	Allen	13 hr
May 12, 9:45 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Vernon	6 days
May 13, 4:31 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Vernon	29 min
May 13, 5:00 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Allen	30 min
May 13, 5:27 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Evangeline	33 min
May 13, 5:29 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	LaSalle	16 min
May 13, 6:02 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Evangeline	28 min
May 13, 6:32 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Landry	13 min
May 13, 10:35 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Calcasieu	21 days
May 13, 10:35 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Allen	21 days
May 13, 10:35 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Beauregard	7 days
May 13, 10:35 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Acadia, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion	21 days
May 13, 10:35 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Acadia, Evangeline, Saint Landry	47 hr
May 13, 10:35 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Allen, Jefferson Davis	21 days
May 13, 10:35 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LCH	Allen	21 days
May 13, 2:36 PM CDT	River Flood Watch	LCH	Vernon	22 hr
May 13, 3:28 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Calcasieu	32 min
May 13, 3:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu	29 min
May 13, 3:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu	61 min
May 13, 3:49 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		56 min
May 13, 3:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	54 min
May 13, 3:54 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu	5 hr
May 13, 4:08 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Cameron, Jefferson Davis	7 min
May 13, 4:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu	37 min
May 13, 4:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	LCH	Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis	61 min
May 13, 4:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Evangeline	56 min
May 13, 4:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron, Vermilion	54 min
May 13, 4:37 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		53 min
May 13, 4:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis	26 min
May 13, 4:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides, Saint Landry	64 min
May 13, 4:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis	34 min
May 13, 5:00 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Allen, Beauregard, Evangeline	5 hr
May 13, 5:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis	34 min
May 13, 5:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	LCH	Acadia, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Vermilion	42 min
May 13, 5:27 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		63 min
May 13, 5:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Jefferson Davis	13 min
May 13, 5:32 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Avoyelles, Evangeline, Rapides, Saint Landry	5 hr
May 13, 5:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	LCH	Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, Vermilion	44 min
May 13, 5:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Saint Landry	43 min
May 13, 6:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Lafayette, Saint Martin	24 min
May 13, 6:23 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		97 min
May 13, 6:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin	35 min
May 13, 6:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	LCH	Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Martin	64 min
May 13, 6:27 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, Vermilion	3 hr
May 13, 6:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Saint Martin	15 min
May 13, 6:33 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Iberia	27 min
May 13, 6:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Saint Martin	20 min
May 13, 6:58 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Iberia, St. Mary	47 min
May 13, 2:03 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Tyler	27 min
May 13, 2:32 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Tyler	28 min
May 13, 2:58 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Jasper, Tyler	32 min
May 13, 3:28 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Jasper, Newton	32 min
May 13, 3:59 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Newton	31 min
May 13, 4:30 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Newton	30 min
May 13, 9:06 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LCH	Newton	72 hr
May 13, 2:19 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Hardin	26 min
May 13, 2:22 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Hardin	5 hr
May 13, 2:36 PM CDT	River Flood Watch	LCH	Hardin	21 hr
May 13, 2:47 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Hardin	28 min
May 13, 3:13 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Hardin	32 min
May 13, 3:18 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Hardin, Jasper, Newton	5 hr
May 13, 3:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Hardin, Jasper, Orange	42 min
May 13, 3:48 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Jefferson	57 min
May 13, 3:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Jasper, Newton	10 min
May 13, 4:22 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Jasper, Tyler	3 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 2024 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2024

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.