A mesoscale convective system moved across southwest Louisiana during the evening hours on April 18. Heavy rainfall of 4 to 6 inches caused widespread flash flooding, while HP supercell thunderstorms embedded in the area of heavy rainfall spawned three weak tornadoes.
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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.
A mesoscale convective system moved across southwest Louisiana during the evening hours on April 18. Heavy rainfall of 4 to 6 inches caused widespread flash flooding, while HP supercell thunderstorms embedded in the area of heavy rainfall spawned three weak tornadoes.
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 Apr 18, 3:17 PM CST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
417 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2009
.DISCUSSION...
VERY INTERESTING SFC FEATURE WITH ROTATION IN CHAMBERS LOOKS TO
MOVE INTO JEFFERSON AFTER 5 PM WILL MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
NEARLY STATIONARY UPPER LVL LOW SPINNING OVER SE COLORADO HAS
KICKED OUT ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF SHRTWVS THAT IS CURRENTLY
TRAVERSING COASTAL TEXAS. SFC TROF IS PROVIDING THE FOCUS FOR
TSTM DEVELOPMENT WITH THE LOW LVL JET DRAGGING MOISTURE INTO SE
TX AND SRN LA. PRECIP WATER RUNNING ABOUT 1.8 INCHES. AT THIS
TIME WITH CAPES AT 1000J/KG AND HEL OF 223 M2/S2. THIS SFC
BOUNDARY IS PROGRESSING SLOWLY ALLOWING STORMS TO TRAIN ACROSS SE
TX WITH RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN TYLER...
JASPER... AND HARDIN COUNTIES. A STRONGER STORM IS PRODUCING
RAINFALL TOTALS FROM 3 TO 5 INCHES IN CHAMBERS COUNTY...THIS STORM
IS MOVING INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY AT THIS TIME AND A FFW HAS BEEN
ISSUED.
STORMS TONIGHT WILL CONTINUE A SLOW MARCH EASTWARD WITH TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF SE TX AND SW LA. A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH FOR THIS REGION WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MIDNIGHT. A TORNADO
WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT AS SHEAR OVER SE TX AND SRN LOUISIANA WILL
ALSO SUPPORT TORNADO DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING. STORMS ENDING
OVER SE TX AND EXTREME SW LA AROUND MIDNIGHT AND AFTER MIDNIGHT
FOR S-CNTRL LA.
UPPER LVL LOW LOOKS TO GET A KICK OFF TO THE EAST AS NRN JET DROPS
DOWN INTO SOUTHERN PLAINS STATES TOMORROW. THIS WILL PUSH THROUGH
A FRONTAL SYSTEM FINALLY DRYING OUT SE TX TMRW MRNG AND SRN LA BY
THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH 66 80 56 76 52 / 80 10 10 0 0
KBPT 65 81 56 76 52 / 80 10 10 0 0
KAEX 65 78 53 72 48 / 80 10 10 0 0
KLFT 66 80 56 75 50 / 80 20 10 0 0
&&
.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: ALLEN...BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...RAPIDES...VERNON.
TX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES:HARDIN...JASPER...JEFFERSON...NEWTON...ORANGE...
TYLER.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM CDT SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: CALCASIEU LAKE...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...SABINE LAKE...VERMILION BAY...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.
&&
K. KUYPERHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 546 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2009 GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055- TXZ180>182-201-215-216-191100- SABINE LAKE-CALCASIEU LAKE-VERMILION BAY- 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- 546 AM CDT SAT APR 18 2009 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 STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST THROUGH TONIGHT. ANOTHER DISTURBANCE ALOFT WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA...PRODUCING NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL BEGIN DURING THE MORNING...INCREASING DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL AND POSSIBLY ISOLATED TORNADOES. THERE IS ALSO A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING...MAINLY NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM BEAUMONT TEXAS AND LAKE CHARLES LOUISIANA TO ALEXANDRIA LOUISIANA. DEEP COPIOUS MOISTURE IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION...AND STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES IN AREAS WHERE TRAINING OF STORMS OCCURS. LASTLY...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL WATERS FROM 20 TO 60 NM OUT. WINDS AROUND 20 KNOTS THIS MORNING WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE TODAY...BUT SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ELEVATED BETWEEN 5 AND 8 FEET. IN ADDITION...WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE HIGHER NEAR SHOWERS AND STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH ON SUNDAY...PUSHING THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OFF TO THE EAST. DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 flash flood, 3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Beauregard Parish Sheriff Office reported one home was flooded on Flowers Street in De Ridder.
An NWS Employee and local law enforcement reported flash flooding in Lake Charles and Sulphur. Ryan Street and Common Street in Lake Charles were flooded and nearly impassable with water over the curbs. Several streets were also flooded in Sulphur.
An EF0 Tornado briefly touched down 3 miles north of Opelousas along Highway 182. A few trees were blown down.
The public reported a foot of water covering Highway 182 near Opelousas.
An EF0 Tornado briefly touched down near a pumping station along Highway 10 between Palmetto and Melville. Several trees and power lines were blown down.
The public reported Highway 190 was flooded and impassable in Eunice.
A high-end EF0 Tornado began along Highway 190 west of Krotz Springs and moved northward ending about 3 miles north of Krotz Springs. Trees were blown down at the intersection of Kim Drive and Rainbow Lane. One home had minor roof damage. A barn and workshop were damaged just north of Kim Drive on Highway 105. Several trees were blown over along Highway 105, and a workshop roof was blown off near the end of the path. Path length about 5 miles with path width around 100 yards.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Louisiana, 2009Warnings in Louisiana, April 2009
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: 162956, 162951, 162957, 162952, 162954, 162955, 162953.