As a cold front moved across the region, a few thunderstorms reached severe limits, and produced damaging wind gusts.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS LCH wrote it up.
As a cold front moved across the region, a few thunderstorms reached severe limits, and produced damaging wind gusts.
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 Jan 10, 11:21 AM CST, 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 1121 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008 .DISCUSSION...SO FAR SO GOOD THIS MORNING. OUR CWA HAS SERVED AS THE BREEDING GROUND FOR STORMS THAT HAVE LATER GONE ON TO ACQUIRE SUPERCELLULAR AND/OR TORNADIC CHARACTERISTICS ONCE THEY HAVE DEPARTED TO THE EAST OR NORTHEAST. INDEED...LOW LEVEL HELICITY VALUES DEFINITELY TREND HIGHER FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...WITH NEARLY WEST SFC WINDS OVER EASTERN TEXAS...AND NEARLY SOUTH SFC WINDS OVER THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN. HAVE ADJUSTED MOST GRIDS TO ACCOUNT FOR LATEST RADAR/SATELLITE TRENDS. ALSO ADDED A MENTION OF FOG ALONG THE NEARSHORE WATERS AND INLAND INTO COASTAL SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS BASED ON RIVER PILOT REPORTS. FOG WILL BE SWEPT AWAY FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE PRE-FRONTAL TROF MOVES THROUGH. UPDATED PRODUCTS ALREADY SENT. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 751 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008/ UPDATE...UPDATED GRIDS/ZONES TO ACCOUNT FOR RECENTLY ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 16. CONVECTION DEVELOPING AS EXPECTED...NO OTHER CHANGES WITH THIS UPDATE. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 400 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008/ DISCUSSION...LATEST SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS 1001MB LOW PRESSURE OVER CNTL OK WITH A FRONTAL BOUNDARY STRETCHING BACK ACROSS THE TX PANHANDLE. MEANWHILE A WARM FRONT HAS MOVED BACK NORTH FROM THE GULF AND IS CURRENTLY BISECTING OUR AREA FROM SW TO NE. VERY MOIST DEWPOINTS ARE ACCOMPANYING THE WARM FRONT WITH READINGS GENERALLY IN THE 60S...CERTAINLY BEING AIDED BY 30 KT LLJ PER AREA 88DS. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A STRONG SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE SRN PLAINS ATTM. REGIONAL 88DS SHOWING SPOTTY LIGHT RW DEVELOPING FROM NEAR GALVESTON BAY NWD ACROSS THE PINEY WOODS REGION TO THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA OF AR/WRN TN. SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION NOTED TO OUR N ACROSS N-CNTL LA. CLOSER TO HOME MOST STATIONS HAVE SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE SOUP WITH VISIBILITIES AOB A MILE FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT. FOG WAS DENSE IN MANY AREAS EARLIER THIS MORNING BUT VISIBILITIES HAVE COME UP OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS AT ALL BUT MY SERN ZONES. AS GRADIENT TIGHTENS AND WINDS INCREASE TOWARD SUNRISE EXPECT THESE AREAS WILL HAVE IMPROVING CONDITIONS AS WELL AND NO ADVISORIES ARE EXPECTED ATTM. NOT MUCH TO ADD TO INHERITED GRIDS/ZONES AS PREVIOUS THINKING REMAINS IN TACT AND DEVELOPING SITUATION IS EVOLVING AS EXPECTED. SHORTWAVE OVER THE PLAINS WILL CONTINUE TO OPEN UP AND EJECT NEWD. DEEPENING SFC LOW WILL RACE NE WITH IS PULLING A STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. FRONT SHOULD GET INTO THE BEAUMONT AREA AROUND 17Z...ALEXANDRIA AND LAKE CHARLES AROUND 19Z OR SO...ACADIANA BY 23Z...AND EXIT THE EXTREME SERN ZONES AROUND 03Z. SOME CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO BE ONGOING AHEAD OF THE FRONT OR AT LEAST TO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT WHEN IT GETS INTO THE WRN ZONES. HOWEVER RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION...QUITE POSSIBLY DEVELOPING INTO A SQUALL LINE...IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT GETS INTO THE CNTL AND ESPECIALLY THE ERN ZONES WHERE ADDITIONAL GULF MOISTURE WILL BE TAPPED AND INSTABILITY IS LIKELY TO BE GREATEST. LOW-LVL WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY...BUT SPEEDS ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE TO 40-50 KNOTS AT H8. COULD BE ENOUGH HELICITY AHEAD OF THE FRONT TO SPAWN A FEW TORNADOES... AGAIN WITH MAIN THREAT ACROSS ACADIANA...BUT MOST LIKELY FORM OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. SEVERE WORDING IS IN THE GRIDS/ZONES FOR THE SERN 1/2 OF THE AREA AND WILL HIGHLIGHT AGAIN IN THE HWO LATER THIS MORNING. HAVE TAPERED OFF POPS THIS EVENING OVER THE SERN 1/2 OF THE AREA AS THE FRONT MOVES OUT AND DRY NWRLY FLOW TAKES OVER THROUGH THE COLUMN. A MUCH QUIETER FORECAST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE 7-DAY PERIOD THANKS TO A GENERAL TROFFING OVER THE ERN CONUS. A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES ARE PROGGED TO ROUND THE BASE OF THE TROF ALTHOUGH SUFFICIENT MOISTURE REMAINS TO OUR NORTH FOR EACH OF THESE SYSTEMS AND THUS NO POPS ARE IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK. BY MID-WEEK A MORE ZONAL FLOW TAKES OVER ALOFT AND A LITTLE MOISTURE IS PROGGED TO AVAILABLE FOR A FRONTAL PASSAGE ON WEDNESDAY. HAVE GONE WITH CHANCE POPS FOR THIS SYSTEM. AVIATION...LIFR TO IFR VISIBILITIES...WITH VLIFR CEILINGS...TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNRISE BEFORE CONDITIONS IMPROVE. LOW CEILINGS AND CONVECTION WILL BE PRIMARY AVIATION PROBLEMS FOR TODAY UNTIL THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING (SEE ABOVE FOR RELATIVE TIMING OF FROPA). MARINE...SCEC HAS BEEN RAISED FOR SOME OF THE WATERS FOR TODAY BASED ON STRONG SRLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT...OR STRONG OFFSHORE FLOW IN THE WAKE OF IT. ANYWAY EXPECT STRONG NRLY WINDS FOR ALL THE WATERS TONIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...RELAXING TOMORROW AS HIGH PRESSURE APPROACHES. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... KLCH 71 45 63 42 / 60 20 0 10 KBPT 70 43 64 43 / 40 10 0 10 KAEX 69 40 62 37 / 60 20 0 10 KLFT 72 46 62 40 / 70 40 10 0 && .LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 4 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR LAZ029-032-033. TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && 13
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 430 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008 GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182- 201-215-216-111030- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON, LA OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA TO CAMERON, LA EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM-VERNON-RAPIDES-AVOYELLES-BEAUREGARD- ALLEN-EVANGELINE-ST. LANDRY-CALCASIEU-JEFFERSON DAVIS-ACADIA- LAFAYETTE-UPPER ST. MARTIN-CAMERON-VERMILION-IBERIA-ST. MARY- LOWER ST. MARTIN-TYLER-JASPER-NEWTON-HARDIN-JEFFERSON-ORANGE- 430 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO...CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA TODAY...WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF AND ALONG IT. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL AND EAST- CENTRAL LOUISIANA AS THE FRONT TAPS INTO DEEPER GULF MOISTURE IN THESE AREAS. FORECAST WIND PROFILES ACROSS THE AREA ALONG AND RIGHT OF A LINE FROM CAMERON TO MARKSVILLE SHOW THE CAPABILITY OF SOME OF THE STORMS TO REACH SEVERE LIMITS LATER THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS... HOWEVER THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. HEAVY RAINS ON THE ORDER OF 2 TO 3 INCHES WILL ALSO BE LIKELY ACROSS THESE AREAS INTO THE AFTERNOON. A FEW SHOWERS WILL LINGER BEHIND THE FRONT ONCE IT EXITS THE AREA THIS EVENING. IN ITS WAKE...COOL BREEZY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT. MODERATE SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY AHEAD OF THE FRONT... AND SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION IF VENTURING OUT INTO THE GULF. STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP OVER THE WATERS ONCE THE FRONT PASSES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS TO THE FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER FRONT CROSSES THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY. 25
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 1028 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008 LAZ042-043-101715- ACADIA-JEFFERSON DAVIS- 1028 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS OVER SOUTHWESTERN ACADIA PARISH...SOUTHERN JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH... AT 1021 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG STORM ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTH OF WELSH...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...TAKE SHELTER IN A BUILDING OR ENCLOSED AUTOMOBILE. JT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 1151 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008 LAZ042-043-101830- ACADIA-JEFFERSON DAVIS- 1151 AM CST THU JAN 10 2008 ...STRONG STORMS WITH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS OVER WESTERN ACADIA PARISH...EAST CENTRAL JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH... AT 1144 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER JENNINGS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...TAKE SHELTER IN A BUILDING OR ENCLOSED AUTOMOBILE. JT
The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:58 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The roof was blown off a mobile home, and some tie down arms were bent when the mobile home rocked in the wind.
The Iota Police Depratment estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph during a severe thunderstorm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, January 2008
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: 78906, 78907.