Alert archive / Louisiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 11, NWS Lake Charles, LA

May 10, 2026Lafayette Parish, Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at May 10, 2026, 5:50 PM CDT for Lafayette Parish, Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 3 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 10, 2026, 5:50 PM CDT (22:50 UTC)
Expired: May 10, 2026, 9:15 PM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Lafayette Parish, LA, Saint Martin Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 119 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:54 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 10, 6:15 PM CDT	FLASH FLOOD	1 N Lafayette, LA	Video shows cars stalled out in flood waters under the University Avenue underpass.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 25 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 219 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1358 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 100 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

406 
WGUS54 KLCH 102250
FFWLCH
LAC055-099-110100-
/O.NEW.KLCH.FF.W.0011.260510T2250Z-260511T0100Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
550 PM CDT Sun May 10 2026

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Eastern Lafayette Parish in south central Louisiana...
  West Central St. Martin Parish in south central Louisiana...

* Until 800 PM CDT.

* At 550 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2.5 inches of 
  rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 3 inches in 1 
  hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches are possible in 
  the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Lafayette, Scott, Breaux Bridge, Carencro, St. Martinville, 
  Broussard, Youngsville, Duson, Cade and Parks.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 3011 9198 3011 9201 3016 9211 3023 9218
      3026 9217 3027 9214 3034 9208 3023 9174
      3012 9179 3007 9183 3007 9185 3006 9190
      3007 9191 3008 9193 3010 9198

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE...1-3 INCHES IN 1 HOUR

$$

Rua

1 follow-up statement

555 
WGUS54 KLCH 110046
FFWLCH
LAC055-099-110215-
/O.EXT.KLCH.FF.W.0011.000000T0000Z-260511T0215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
746 PM CDT Sun May 10 2026

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has extended the

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Eastern Lafayette Parish in south central Louisiana...
  West Central St. Martin Parish in south central Louisiana...

* Until 915 PM CDT.

* At 746 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain 
  have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 2 inches in 1 
  hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in 
  the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Lafayette, Scott, Breaux Bridge, Carencro, St. Martinville, 
  Broussard, Youngsville, Duson, Cade and Parks.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 3011 9198 3011 9201 3016 9211 3023 9218
      3026 9217 3027 9214 3034 9208 3023 9174
      3012 9179 3007 9183 3007 9185 3006 9190
      3007 9191 3008 9193 3010 9198

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE...1-2 INCHES IN 1 HOUR

$$

Rua

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at May 10, 12:51 PM CDT, 4 hours 59 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

A few afternoon thunderstorms will develop in response to afternoon heating within a very tropical airmass.
Patchy fog will be possible again early Monday morning where winds calm, but may be disrupted by storms.
A cold front will move through the region Monday accompanied by showers and thunderstorms.
A dry and warming pattern develops from mid week onward.

Area forecast discussion, May 10, 12:51 PM CDT, 4 hours 59 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1251 PM CDT Sun May 10 2026

...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- A few afternoon thunderstorms will develop in response to
afternoon heating within a very tropical airmass.

- Patchy fog will be possible again early Monday morning where winds
calm, but may be disrupted by storms.

- A cold front will move through the region Monday accompanied by
showers and thunderstorms.

- A dry and warming pattern develops from mid week onward.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
(This evening through next Saturday)
Issued at 1246 PM CDT Sun May 10 2026

A few light showers have been ongoing near the coast
and offshore this morning, but with no real upper level support,
coverage has been much lower than has been seen in recent days. A
few more, diurnally driven, thunderstorms are expected to develop
this afternoon. The influence of an approaching upper trof will
provide better upper level support overnight for the continuation of
scattered showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog will be possible
once again early Monday morning where showers are not actively
occurring and winds calm. Any fog that develops should either
dissipate or lift into a low level stratus layer by 9 AM Monday
morning.

The fog and convection will precede a cold front that is now progged
to push through the region during the day Monday rather than the
early Monday morning timeframe being advertised at this time
yesterday. This front will be noticeable, but the supplanting airmass
won't be as cold or as dry as recent anomalously cool events. It is
mid May after all. Still, temperatures and dewpoints will fall into
the low to mid 60s Tuesday morning as high pressure settles briefly
overhead.

This high will slide east of the area by Wednesday turning winds
back out of the south and initializing a warming pattern through the
rest of the week. Afternoon highs will climb into the mid to upper
80s although dewpoints will remain relatively reasonable (for this
part of the world) in the 60s.

Jones

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1246 PM CDT Sun May 10 2026

Ceilings are currently fluctuating between MVFR and VFR, but
should continue to improve to VFR through the afternoon. A few
showers and thunderstorms may develop this afternoon, but
probabilities are low. Precipitation chances will increase
overnight into Monday with the approach of a cold front. Ceilings
will fall to MVFR and possibly IFR after 08Z. Patchy fog will be
possible where winds calm and precipitation doesn't disrupt
development. Any fog that develops will dissipate by 14Z. A cold
front will push through the region near the end of the taf period
turning light winds out of the north.

Jones

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 1246 PM CDT Sun May 10 2026

A few, light showers will continue over the coastal waters
through Monday afternoon along with light onshore winds. A cold
front will push through the coastal waters Monday afternoon bringing
the precipitation to an end and turning winds offshore between 10-15
knots. High pressure slides east of the region Wednesday turning
winds back onshore through the end of the week.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1246 PM CDT Sun May 10 2026

A few showers and thunderstorms will develop this
afternoon and continue overnight ahead of a cold front that will
push through the area Monday. Precipitation will come to an end
behind the front with light northerly winds developing in its wake
that will advect some cooler, drier air into the region Monday night
into Tuesday. Minimum RH values Wednesday will fall into the 40-50%
range. Outside of precipitation tonight and Monday, conditions will
be generally favorable for prescribed burning although portions of
the region remain in a drought.

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...None.
TX...None.
GM...None.
&&

PUBLIC/FIRE/MARINE...66
AVIATION...66

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 10, 12:23 PM CDT, 5 hours 27 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1223 PM CDT Sun May 10 2026

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

0824 AM     Hail             Dupont                  30.93N 91.95W
05/08/2026  M2.00 Inch       Avoyelles          LA   NWS Employee

            Report of large hail in Dupont, LA. Time
            estimated by radar.

&&

MKC

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Louisiana, 2026 Every flash flood warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.