Isolated strong thunderstorms that developed in a moist and unstable airmass in the vicinity of a cold front that pushed south across the area produced locally heavy rainfall.
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 LIX wrote it up.
Isolated strong thunderstorms that developed in a moist and unstable airmass in the vicinity of a cold front that pushed south across the area produced locally heavy rainfall.
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 New Orleans, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 5, 2:57 AM CST, 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
357 AM CDT SAT APR 5 2008
.DISCUSSION...
EARLY THIS MORNING THERE WAS A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER
SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA ALONG A FRONTAL BOUNDARY STRETCHING FROM
SOUTHERN ALABAMA INTO THE COASTAL WATERS OFF SOUTHWESTERN
LOUISIANA. THE FRONTAL SYSTEM HAD SLOWED IN ITS
PROGRESSION...LEADING TO TRAINING OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS FROM
THE NEW ORLEANS AREA THROUGH COASTAL MISSISSIPPI. THE UPPER-LEVEL
TROUGH STRETCHED FROM THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES INTO TEXAS. AS THE
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BEGINS TO PULL NORTHEASTWARD TODAY...THE
SURFACE LOW WILL PULL INTO THE CAROLINAS. IN ADDITION...A SHORT
WAVE WILL PUSH INTO THE MISSISSIPPI COASTAL WATERS...ENHANCING
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THAT AREA THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS.
ANOTHER 2-3 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS COASTAL
MISSISSIPPI AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE NEW ORLEANS/ST BERNARD
PARISH AREA BEFORE THE EVENT IS OVER. ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL
EXACERBATE THE FLOODING POTENTIAL ESPECIALLY AROUND HANCOCK AND
HARRISON COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI. THE BILOXI RIVER NEAR LYMAN HAS
ALREADY BEEN FORECAST TO GO INTO FLOOD LATER TODAY.
THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUTSIDE THE LOUISIANA/MISSISSIPPI
COASTAL WATERS. OCCASIONAL DISTURBANCES MY MOVE ALONG THIS
BOUNDARY AND BRING SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY TO OUR OUTER
COASTAL WATERS THROUGH MONDAY.
THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM FOR OUR AREA LOOKS TO BE LATER IN THE
WEEK AS A DEEP TROUGH PUSHES INTO THE PLAINS STATES AND A SURFACE
LOW PUSHES INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO OUR AREA ON FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT.
.AVIATION...
OCCASIONAL LIFR CONDITIONS IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ARE POSSIBLE
EARLY THIS MORNING AT MSY AND GPT. CONDITIONS AT ALL TERMINALS
SHOULD BE MVFR OR BETTER LATER THIS MORNING. CLEARING IS EXPECTED
BY THIS EVENING.
.MARINE...
AS A DISTURBANCE PUSHES ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS THIS
MORNING...WINDS MAY REACH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA MAINLY
OVER THE OUTER WATERS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MCB 70 53 80 55 / 20 0 10 0
BTR 71 55 80 57 / 20 0 10 0
MSY 72 61 79 62 / 40 10 10 10
GPT 73 56 77 58 / 50 10 20 10
&&
.LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...NONE.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 1 PM CDT THIS
AFTERNOON FOR GMZ575.
MS...NONE.
GM...&&
25HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA 1025 PM CDT FRI APR 4 2008 GMZ530-550-555-570-575-LAZ034>040-046>050-056>070-MSZ068>071-077- 080>082-051100- LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND LAKE MAUREPAS- COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER LA OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER LA FROM 20 TO 60 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM 20 TO 60 NM-POINTE COUPEE-WEST FELICIANA- EAST FELICIANA-ST. HELENA-TANGIPAHOA-WASHINGTON-ST. TAMMANY- IBERVILLE-WEST BATON ROUGE-EAST BATON ROUGE-ASCENSION-LIVINGSTON- ASSUMPTION-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-UPPER LAFOURCHE- ST. CHARLES-UPPER JEFFERSON-ORLEANS-UPPER PLAQUEMINES- UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-LOWER TERREBONNE- LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER JEFFERSON-LOWER PLAQUEMINES- LOWER ST. BERNARD-WILKINSON-AMITE-PIKE-WALTHALL-PEARL RIVER- HANCOCK-HARRISON-JACKSON- 1025 PM CDT FRI APR 4 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF GULF OF MEXICO...SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI OVERNIGHT. ALTHOUGH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED...A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG AND PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN. RIVER FLOODING... THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT BATON ROUGE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A MAJOR FLOOD CREST OF 41.0 FEET FOR APRIL 16TH. MODERATE FLOODING IS ALSO EXPECTED ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT RED RIVER LANDING AND ON THE ATCHAFALAYA RIVER AT MORGAN CITY. MINOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT DONALDSONVILLE AND RESERVE WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS. THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT NEW ORLEANS NOW HAS A FORECAST CREST AT 17.0 FEET...RIGHT AT FLOOD STAGE FOR APRIL 16TH. THE RIVER LEVEES PROTECT THE CITY TO A STAGE OF 20 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY RIVER FLOODING WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD ON THE MISSISSIPPI AND ATCHAFALAYA RIVER SYSTEMS THROUGH THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS AND BEYOND. OTHERWISE...NO WEATHER HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED.
LAZ046-049-056-057-050745- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA 141 AM CDT SAT APR 5 2008 ...THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL MOVING INTO THE AREA... AT 136 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG WINDS UP TO 45 MPH AND PEA SIZED HAIL NEAR NAPOLEONVILLE...OR ABOUT 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF PIERRE PART...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... GEISMER AND DONALDSONVILLE AT 200 AM. GONZALES AND SORRENTO AT 215 AM. THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND/OR DAMAGING WINDS. CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. BE PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 17
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
306 AM CDT SAT APR 05 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 AM HAIL DES ALLEMANDS 29.83N 90.43W
04/05/2008 E1.00 INCH ST. CHARLES LA LAW ENFORCEMENT
SHERIFFS DEPUTY REPORTED QUARTER-SIZED HAIL
&&
25The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall flooded a gas station with a few feet of water near Beatline Road and Interstate 10.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, April 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: 95974.