Alert archive / Louisiana / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026
Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS Lake Charles, LA
NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this flash flood warning at May 9, 2026, 11:43 AM CDT for 4 parishes in Louisiana. It was in force for 4 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 9, 2026, 11:43 AM CDT (16:43 UTC)
- Expired
- May 9, 2026, 3:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Lake Charles, LA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- None
Counties Iberia Parish, LA, Saint Martin Parish, LA, St. Mary Parish, LA, Vermilion Parish, LA
The radar
The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:44 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.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
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, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 228 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1031 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -62 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 728 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 207 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 237 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.4
- Supercell composite
- 9.1
The text
As transmitted.
545
WGUS54 KLCH 091643
FFWLCH
LAC045-099-101-113-092045-
/O.NEW.KLCH.FF.W.0009.260509T1643Z-260509T2045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1143 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026
The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for...
Northwestern Iberia Parish in south central Louisiana...
Central St. Martin Parish in south central Louisiana...
Northwestern St. Mary Parish in south central Louisiana...
Central Vermilion Parish in southwestern Louisiana...
* Until 345 PM CDT.
* At 1143 AM CDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated
thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between
1 and 2.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts
of 1 to 3 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding
is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.
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...
Jeanerette, Avery Island, Intracoastal City, Cypremort Point,
Forked Island, Henry, Esther, Lydia, Cote Blanche Island, Glencoe,
Sorrel, Lake Fausse Pointe, Charenton and Weeks Island.
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 2989 9255 2997 9231 2989 9223 2991 9185
3011 9148 2992 9149 2973 9172 2970 9185
2970 9189 2975 9189 2982 9185 2980 9191
2982 9197 2978 9198 2973 9211 2971 9212
2970 9209 2967 9211 2965 9230
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
$$
MC1 follow-up statement
503
WGUS74 KLCH 092041
FFSLCH
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
341 PM CDT Sat May 9 2026
LAC045-099-101-113-092051-
/O.EXP.KLCH.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-260509T2045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Iberia LA-St. Martin LA-St. Mary LA-Vermilion LA-
341 PM CDT Sat May 9 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 345 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR
NORTHWESTERN IBERIA, CENTRAL ST. MARTIN, NORTHWESTERN ST. MARY AND
CENTRAL VERMILION PARISHES...
The heavy rain has ended and water has begun receding. Please
continue to heed remaining road closures.
&&
LAT...LON 2989 9255 2997 9231 2989 9223 2991 9185
3011 9148 2992 9149 2973 9172 2970 9185
2970 9189 2975 9189 2982 9185 2980 9191
2982 9197 2978 9198 2973 9211 2971 9212
2970 9209 2967 9211 2965 9230
$$
MCWhat 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 9, 6:56 AM CDT, 4 hours 47 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Shower / thunderstorm activity is expected to increase through the morning hours as another impulse descends toward the coast. A few of these cells may become severe, however, flash flooding remains the top concern with this pattern.
- Additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms will develop through Sunday night.
- A weak cold front will push through the region Monday drying out the region through the rest of the week.
Area forecast discussion, May 9, 6:56 AM CDT, 4 hours 47 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 656 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... - Shower / thunderstorm activity is expected to increase through the morning hours as another impulse descends toward the coast. A few of these cells may become severe, however, flash flooding remains the top concern with this pattern. - Additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms will develop through Sunday night. - A weak cold front will push through the region Monday drying out the region through the rest of the week. && .DISCUSSION... (Today through Friday) Issued at 1241 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026 A stalled stationary front offshore will serve as a broader convergence zone for moistures inland extending northward to the ARKLATEX region today. Upper level analysis shows a river of Pacific moisture feeding across the CWA and into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Meanwhile weak sfc-800mb flow off the Gulf has saturated the lower column leading to observed PWATs of in excess of 2.00" per 09th/00Z LCH sounding. Cells developing across the area have shown the capacity to take hold of the elevated convection leading to ongoing hail and wind threat as noted by the Marginal(Level 1 out of 5) severe outlook by the SPC. Separately, flash flood concerns will remain throughout the day with a Marginal to Slight(Level 2 out of 4) per recent excessive rainfall outlook from WPC. While short term convection guidance has waffled quite a bit, one bit of agreement is the illustration of higher precipitation amounts toward the I-49 corridor and east ward- hence the Slight ERO risk along east central LA and Acadiana. With flash flood guidance lower after multiple rounds of precipitation combined with atmosphere's shown ability to realize those high PWATs amid elevated instability, instances of flash flooding will be the main concern today. Outside of showers/storms, conditions will be mostly cloudy and muggy. Upper level flow is quite chaotic across the Southern Plains having multiple embedded perturbations within the shortwave extending over the region. Apart from scattered activity, an additional MCS like feature or clustered mass of convective showers/storms can be expected overnight into Monday as this piece of the wave ejects across the Mississippi River. Therefore, would not be surprised to see possible storm totals between today and Monday morning trend higher. QPF has been adjusted on broader scale to reflect most areas seeing 0.5-1.00" outside of training convection- which remains a strong possibility given antecedent radar trends in this pattern despite high corfidi vectors. Thus, it is not slow moving convection that prompts the hydro concerns, but rather up stream growth with efficient rainfall rates as most cells appear to be moving at a decent pace. High pressure descends from the Midwest on Monday afternoon ushering the frontal boundary east of the Mississippi Delta with skies clearing of active weather by the evening. This new pattern of stabilizing subsidence will bring back mostly sunny conditions Tuesday. Temperatures begin a warming trend into the upper 80's by the upcoming midweek. High pressure will settle across the TX/LA coast through the remainder of the week which favors near zero chances of precipitation and a noticeable reduction in afternoon humidity. Kowalski / 30 && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 654 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026 Showers and storms are ongoing across the region and will remain in place through the day. Periods of lower vis and ceilings are anticipated. Thin br may occur at the end of the period as moisture remains high. Outside of storms winds will be light and generally SE to SW. && .MARINE... Issued at 1241 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026 Light southeast onshore winds and low seas will prevail through Sunday night. Scattered showers and thunderstorms may develop over the nearshore coastal waters Saturday as an upper level disturbance moves across the region. A dry cold front will push through the region Monday morning turning winds offshore between 15 and 20 knots Monday into Monday night. Onshore flow becomes reestablished Tuesday through the end of the week. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 1241 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026 Another round of showers and thunderstorms will develop before today in response to another upper level disturbance moving across the region. A lull in activity is possible during the early evening. Fewer storms are expected Sunday although scattered activity will likely develop Sunday afternoon ahead a frontal boundary. This dry cold front will push through the region Monday turning light winds out of the north and bringing precipitation chances to an end for the rest of the week. && .LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...None. TX...None. GM...None. && PUBLIC/FIRE/MARINE...30 AVIATION...05
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 9, 11:17 AM CDT, 26 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1117 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1024 AM Flash Flood 2 NNE Lydia 29.95N 91.77W
05/09/2026 Iberia LA Law Enforcement
Report of Darnall Rd near HWY 90 blocked by
high water.
&&
MCLocal storm report, May 9, 11:19 AM CDT, 24 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1119 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1024 AM Flash Flood 3 W New Iberia 30.00N 91.87W
05/09/2026 Iberia LA Law Enforcement
Report Grand Prairie Rd is blocked by high
water.
&&
MCLocal storm report, May 9, 11:33 AM CDT, 10 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1133 AM CDT Sat May 9 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1101 AM Flash Flood 1 NW New Iberia 30.02N 91.83W
05/09/2026 Iberia LA Public
Report of water over the roadway on St Peter
near the Library.
&&
MCThe office that day
Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 8:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Vernon | 57 min |
| May 8, 9:47 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LCH | Saint Landry | 28 min |
| May 8, 9:50 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LCH | Beauregard | 40 min |
| May 8, 10:40 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LCH | Allen | 50 min |
| May 8, 11:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Allen, Evangeline | 46 min |
| May 8, 11:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Evangeline, Saint Landry | 47 min |
| May 9, 12:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Saint Landry | 37 min |
| May 9, 3:49 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | LCH | Rapides | 41 min |
| May 9, 8:09 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | LCH | 66 min | |
| May 9, 9:46 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Iberia, Lafayette, Saint Martin, Vermilion | 7 hr |
| May 9, 10:12 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | LCH | Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin | 6 days |
| May 9, 10:12 AM CDT | River Flood Warning | LCH | Lafayette, Vermilion | 12 days |
| May 9, 1:08 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Lafayette, Saint Martin, Vermilion | 4 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Louisiana, 2026Every 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.