Extreme to exceptional drought conditions contributed to a wildfire in Hardin County.
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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.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions contributed to a wildfire in Hardin County.
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 Jun 4, 11:34 AM CST, 3 hours 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 1234 PM CDT SAT JUN 4 2011 .DISCUSSION... CONCERNING THE 04/18Z TAF ISSUANCE. && .AVIATION... INFLUENCE OF UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ALOFT AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. DRY AIR IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS HAS PRECLUDED ANY SIGNIFICANT CU DEVELOPMENT SO FAR WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. GUIDANCE IS HINTING AT A LATE IN THE DAY SEABREEZE DEVELOPING...WHICH COINCIDES WITH MAX DAYTIME HEATING. THEREFORE...STILL SLIGHT CHANCE OF SOME ISOLATED CONVECTION NEAR SOUTHERN LOUISIANA TAF SITES AFTER 04/23Z. WILL MENTION CB IN THE CLOUD GROUP TO COVER THIS. ANY CONVECTION THAT MAY FORM SHOULD DISSIPATE WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING BY MID EVENING. AGAIN MAY SEE SOME MINOR VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS OVERNIGHT NEAR SUNRISE AT KLCH/KLFT/KARA DUE TO LIGHT PATCHY FOG. RUA && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1134 AM CDT SAT JUN 4 2011/ DISCUSSION... SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS WEAK HIGH OVER THE REGION...LEADING TO LIGHT NE TO VARIABLE WINDS OVER THE REGION. FURTHER ALOFT...THE RIDGE CONTINUES OVER MUCH OF THE SE WITH THE CENTER OVER MS/AL THIS MORNING. FOR OUR REGION...TEMPS ALREADY IN THE UPPER 80S/LOWER 90S...EXPECTED TO REACH THE MID/UPPER 90S BY AFTERNOON'S END. ANY ISO TSRA THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE MID/LATE AFTERNOON NEAR CONVECTIVE MAX TEMPERATURE. CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS GOOD...WITH NO UPDATES PLANNED AT THIS TIME. DML PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 524 AM CDT SAT JUN 4 2011/ DISCUSSION... LATEST UPPER AIR ANALYSIS/WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWED BLOCKING MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE MID/LOWER MS RIVER VALLEY. EMBEDDED WITHIN THE RIDGE IS A SUBTLE VORT MAX OVER ROUGHLY CENTRAL GA. THE SFC PATTERN IS GENERALLY NON-DESCRIPT...WITH BROAD HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE SE CONUS...THOUGH THERE IS A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHERN AL/GA BORDER...WITH A WEAK CONVERGENT BOUNDARY EXTENDING WWD FROM THE LOW ACROSS SRN AL/MS AND INTO CENTRAL LA. ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF SEEMINGLY ENDLESS HOT DAYS IS ON TAP FOR TODAY...WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S ONCE AGAIN. WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT IS A BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...RELATIVELY SPEAKING...THAN YESTERDAY. THE AFOREMENTIONED SFC LOW AND ASSOCIATED BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO RETROGRADE TWD THE WSW IN TANDEM WITH THE SUBTLE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE. IN CONJUNCTION WITH INSTABILITY CREATED BY DAYTIME HEATING...CAPE AROUND 2K J/KG...WITH LITTLE TO NO CIN...ALONG WITH ENHANCED CONVERGENCE PROVIDED BY THE SEA BREEZE...THIS SHOULD PROVE SUFFICIENT TO INITIATE AT LEAST ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BY MID/LATE AFTERNOON. FORECAST SOUNDINGS DEPICT A CLASSIC INVERTED-V SIGNATURE...INDICATIVE OF DAMAGING WIND POTENTIAL...WHILE WBZ HEIGHTS ARE NEAR THE UPPER END OF THE RANGE SUPPORTIVE OF LARGE HAIL REACHING THE SFC. SPC HAS THE AREA OUTLINED IN A 5 PERCENT PROB FOR DAMAGING WINDS...AND CONCUR THAT THIS IS THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY ISOLATED STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. ANY AFTERNOON CONVECTION WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS...BEFORE DISSIPATING AROUND/SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. BEYOND TODAY...THE MID/UPPER RIDGE IS FORECAST TO RETROGRADE TWD THE ARKLATEX AND WEAKEN THROUGH MONDAY...THEN BUILD EAST OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST STATES BY MID WEEK. FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY...THIS WILL YIELD AFTERNOON HIGHS A LITTLE WARMER THAN TODAY...WITH A CONTINUED SMALL CHANCE OF RAIN AS THE WEAK BOUNDARY REMAINS IN THE AREA AND ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES TRANSLATE THROUGH THE EASTERLY FLOW UNDERNEATH THE RIDGE. IN THE MEDIUM TO EXTENDED PERIODS...A MORE PREVALENT SOUTHERLY FLOW OFF THE GULF IS FORECAST TO MODERATE AFTERNOON HIGHS TO THE LOW/MID 90S. MARINE... GENERALLY LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE MEANDERS ACROSS THE REGION. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS A SERIES OF WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES TRACK WEST ACROSS THE AREA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... KLCH 97 73 99 74 98 / 20 20 20 20 20 KBPT 95 73 96 74 96 / 20 20 20 20 20 KAEX 98 71 98 71 98 / 20 20 20 20 20 KLFT 97 74 98 74 97 / 20 20 20 20 20 && .LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...NONE. TX...NONE. GM...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 605 AM CDT SAT JUN 4 2011 LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-051115- 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- 605 AM CDT SAT JUN 4 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER IS VERY LOW...AN ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. STRONG DOWNBURST WINDS WOULD BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD. NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. COMBINED WITH THE HUMIDITY...APPARENT TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR 100 DEGREES DURING PEAK HEATING. INDIVIDUALS ARE URGED TO USE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN OUTDOORS AND DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS. ELEVATED FIRE DANGER WILL CONTINUE DUE TO VERY DRY GROUND FUELS. BURN BANS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA. BACKWATER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS EASTERN UPPER SAINT MARTIN PARISH AS A RESULT OF RELEASES FROM THE MORGANZA SPILLWAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME...THE OVERALL PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER IS VERY LOW. HOWEVER...THE RISK OF AN ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING STRONG DOWNBURST WINDS WILL CONTINUE. WITH THE ABSENCE OF ANY MEANINGFUL AREAWIDE RAINFALL...ELEVATED FIRE DANGER WILL CONTINUE DUE TO VERY DRY GROUND FUELS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT. GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-051115- 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- 605 AM CDT SAT JUN 4 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER IS VERY LOW...AN ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. STRONG DOWNBURST WINDS WOULD BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME...THE OVERALL PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER IS VERY LOW. HOWEVER...THE RISK OF AN ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING STRONG DOWNBURST WINDS WILL CONTINUE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TODAY OR TONIGHT. 13
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Over 910 acres were burned four miles south of Kountze, TX. No losses were reported, but 24 homes had to be evacuated for precautionary measures.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, June 2011
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: 327550.