Louisiana, 2001

Flash Flood in Louisiana, September 1, 2001

September 1, 2001 · NWS LCH · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Between five and eight inches of rain fell in less than four hours, resulting in flooding across southern portions of Beauregard Parish, including the Fields area. Over 20 roads were damaged from flood waters.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LCH wrote it up.

Between five and eight inches of rain fell in less than four hours, resulting in flooding across southern portions of Beauregard Parish, including the Fields area. Over 20 roads were damaged from flood waters.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Aug 31, 7:30 PM CST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 7:30 PM CST, 5 hours 30 minutes before
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
830 PM CDT FRI AUG 31 2001

LATEST RADAR IMAGE SHOWS SCATTERED SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUING TO MOVE
NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS. LOOKING AT
THE KHGX RADAR...A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH
A VORTICITY MAX STRETCHING ACROSS GALVESTON COUNTY INTO THE COASTAL
WATERS CONTINUES TO MIGRATE ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST. LOOKS LIKE
THIS FEATURE WILL RIDE ALONG THE MID-LEVEL TROUGH INTO THE FORECAST AREA
TONIGHT. THIS WILL ENHANCE THE NOCTURNAL SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS.

THE 00Z LCH SOUNDING SHOWS DRIER AIR IN THE MID-LEVELS. SUSPECT THIS
COULD BE THE RESULT OF SUBSIDENCE AS THE BALLOON FLOATED ALONG THE
EDGE OF A THUNDERSTORM. MAY NOT BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OVERALL
ENVIRONMENT.

WILL EXTEND THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY.

.LCH...FFA THROUGH SATURDAY FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
LOUISIANA.

.PRELIM NUMBERS...
AEX 71/83/71/84/72 88675
BPT 73/83/73/83/74 +8675
LCH 73/83/73/83/73 +8675
LFT 73/82/73/83/73 88675

MAYEAUX

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Beauregard

When
September 1, 1:00 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where
Beauregard County, South Portion
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
30.649, -93.343 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Louisiana in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, September 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5270327.