Louisiana, 2010

Hail and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, May 17, 2010

May 17, 2010 · NWS LCH · 4 events in 1 county or zone

Additional showers and thunderstorms developed across southwest Louisiana during the afternoon hours on May 17. Some of these storms caused wind damage in and near the Lake Charles area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

Additional showers and thunderstorms developed across southwest Louisiana during the afternoon hours on May 17. Some of these storms caused wind damage in and near the Lake Charles area.

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 May 17, 3:05 PM CST, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 3:05 PM CST, 35 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 17, 3:59 AM CST, 11 hours 41 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
459 AM CDT MON MAY 17 2010

GMZ435-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-181100-
VERMILION BAY-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-
459 AM CDT MON MAY 17 2010

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

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO RE-FIRE UP LATER
TODAY...AS A COLD FRONT ADVANCES INTO NORTHERN LOUISIANA.

ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE...THE PRIMARY THREATS BEING
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO
POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER SHOWERS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

GMZ430-432-450-452-455-470-472-475-181100-
SABINE LAKE-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-
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-
459 AM CDT MON MAY 17 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST
GULF OF MEXICO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE PREDOMINATING WAVES WILL BE LONG-PERIOD SOUTHERLY SWELLS. THE
ACTUAL TIDES WILL BE RUNNING ABOUT A FOOT ABOVE TIDE TABLE VALUES.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 17, 1:09 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 17, 1:26 PM CST, 2 hours 14 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 17, 1:39 PM CST, 2 hours 1 minute before
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Special weather statement, May 17, 2:06 PM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 17, 2:10 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 17, 2:16 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
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The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 23 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Calcasieu

When
May 17, 3:40 PM CST
Where
Calcasieu County, 2.4 mi N of Moss Bluff
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
30.334, -93.215

NWS employees in Moss Bluff reported several trees blown down across town, with a large tree blown down in the front yard of an employee on Belfield Road. KFDM-TV reported a weather station at Sam Houston High School in Moss Bluff measured a wind gust of 55 mph.

Hail, Calcasieu

When
May 17, 3:55 PM CST
Where
Calcasieu County, Moss Bluff
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
30.300, -93.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Calcasieu

When
May 17, 3:56 PM CST
Where
Calcasieu County, 0.79 mi E of Lake Charles Lake
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
30.230, -93.217

An NWS employee estimated 60 mph winds in downtown Lake Charles.

Thunderstorm Wind, Calcasieu

When
May 17, 4:45 PM CST
Where
Calcasieu County, 6.07 mi SW of Lake Charles Muni Ar
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
30.054, -93.287

KPLC-TV relayed a report of a 63 mph wind gust measured by a Davis weather station in Deatonville.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Louisiana in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, May 2010

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 237703, 237704, 237705, 237707.