Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 5, 2025Rapides Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Apr 5, 2025, 8:59 PM CDT for Rapides Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 18 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
Apr 5, 2025, 8:59 PM CDT (01:59 UTC)
Expired
Apr 5, 2025, 9:17 PM CDT
In force
18 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), 34 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:00 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 5, 6:39 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 106 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2025-04-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1744 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2025-04-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 297 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1744 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-42 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
647 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
297 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
271 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.1
Supercell composite
15.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

465 
WFUS54 KLCH 060159
TORLCH
LAC079-060230-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0013.250406T0159Z-250406T0230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
859 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

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

* Until 930 PM CDT.

* At 859 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Elizabeth, 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...
  Glenmora around 910 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Union
Hill and Mcnary.

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 3104 9257 3090 9257 3090 9283 3097 9283
      3097 9282
TIME...MOT...LOC 0159Z 260DEG 26KT 3094 9280 

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

$$

Jones
2 follow-up statements
158 
WWUS54 KLCH 060210
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
910 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025

LAC079-060230-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250406T0230Z/
Rapides LA-
910 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM CDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL RAPIDES PARISH...

At 910 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 7 miles west of Glenmora, 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...
  Glenmora around 915 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Mcnary.

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 3104 9257 3092 9257 3091 9275 3098 9277
TIME...MOT...LOC 0210Z 260DEG 26KT 3095 9271 

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

$$

Denson
107 
WWUS54 KLCH 060217
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
917 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025

LAC079-060227-
/O.CAN.KLCH.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250406T0230Z/
Rapides LA-
917 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL RAPIDES PARISH IS
CANCELLED...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until midnight CDT for central
Louisiana.

&&

LAT...LON 3104 9257 3092 9257 3091 9275 3098 9277
TIME...MOT...LOC 0216Z 260DEG 26KT 3096 9265 

$$

Denson

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 5, 7:04 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHVernon26 min
Apr 5, 7:27 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHVernon33 min
Apr 5, 8:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHRapides12 min
Apr 5, 9:16 PM CDTTornado WarningLCHRapides13 min
Apr 5, 9:53 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLCHRapides, Vernon6 hr
Apr 5, 11:42 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHAllen33 min
Apr 5, 11:44 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementLCHBeauregard31 min
Apr 6, 4:32 PM CDTRiver Flood WatchLCHAvoyelles, Rapides5 hr
Apr 6, 4:32 PM CDTRiver Flood WatchLCHSaint Martin, St. Mary9 days

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2025Every tornado warning in 2025Tornadoes in 2025

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.