Seiche in Louisiana, November 23, 2014

Name: Seiche in Louisiana, November 23, 2014
Start: 2014-11-23T00:10
End: 2014-11-23T07:46
Location: Louisiana

November 23, 2014 · NWS LCH · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: $75,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

A prolonged east fetch along the coast of Louisiana caused water levels to run above normal for around a day and a half, however water levels remained below minor flood stage while this occurred. During the day of the 22nd a line of thunderstorms developed over the Central Texas coast and moved east into the Gulf of Mexico. This line of strong to severe storms arrived in the coastal waters of far Southeast Texas around midnight. The line of storms moved along the coast with a Mesoscale Convective Vortex crossing the coast around Constance or Holly Beach in the early morning hours of the 23rd. The stronger portion of the line of storms was south of the MCV. As the stronger portion moved ashore water quickly rose above the moderate flood stage threshold and fell back again along the coast of Cameron and Vermilion Parishes. This event traveled east with the line of storms although water levels remained at or below minor flood stage in Vermilion Bay to Amerada Pass.

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 Nov 22, 11:23 PM CST, 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 22, 11:23 PM CST, 47 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 22, 4:14 AM CST, 19 hours 56 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
414 AM CST SAT NOV 22 2014

LAZ027>033-041>045-052>055-073-074-TXZ180-201-215-216-259>262-
231200-
VERNON-RAPIDES-AVOYELLES-BEAUREGARD-ALLEN-EVANGELINE-ST. LANDRY-
CALCASIEU-JEFFERSON DAVIS-ACADIA-LAFAYETTE-UPPER ST. MARTIN-
VERMILION-IBERIA-ST. MARY-LOWER ST. MARTIN-WEST CAMERON-
EAST CAMERON-TYLER-HARDIN-JEFFERSON-ORANGE-NORTHERN JASPER-
NORTHERN NEWTON-SOUTHERN JASPER-SOUTHERN NEWTON-
414 AM CST SAT NOV 22 2014

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
A VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM ADVANCING EAST OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
WILL BRING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON
INTO EARLY SUNDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...BUT CANNOT RULE
OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HAIL OR TORNADOES WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY
SUNDAY MORNING...WITH NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER
OF THANKSGIVING WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT.

GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-231200-
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 FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM  INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON LA FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LA FROM
20 TO 60 NM-
414 AM CST SAT NOV 22 2014

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
WITH EXPECTED INCREASING SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH WINDS LATER TONIGHT...SMALL
CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR THE 20 TO 60 NAUTICAL MILE ZONES.
ALSO...THESE WINDS WILL LEAD TO TIDAL LEVELS 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL...LEADING TO MINOR COASTAL FLOODING POSSIBLE LATE THIS
EVENING INTO EARLY SUNDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY
SUNDAY MORNING...WITH NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER
OF THANKSGIVING WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 seiche. Local standard time, as filed.

Seiche, Vermilion

When: November 23, 12:10 AM CST to 7:46 AM CST
Where: Vermilion forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

The water level along the coast of Vermilion Parish rose to around 3 feet above MLLW after midnight on the 23rd as a line of storms approached. The water level held generally steady through 3 AM before quickly rising to 5.98 at the Freshwater Locks NOS site by 4 AM. Major flooding of the coastal area occurs at 6 feet above MLLW. The tide quickly receded after peaking. Water in Vermilion Bay remained at 3 feet or above through sunrise. No report of damage was received from Vermilion Parish.

Seiche, West Cameron

When: November 23, 1:31 AM CST to 3:32 AM CST
Where: West Cameron forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: C-MAN Station
Coordinates: 29.847, -93.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The water level at Sabine Pass rose to 3 feet above MLLW and peaked out at 3.81 feet around 40 minutes later. The water level from Sabine Pass to Johnson Bayou and Pelican Beach rose to cover the beach, however the surf did not cause damage as it was generally contained by the dunes. Farther east to Long Beach and Constance Beach the water completely covered the beach and moved onto the neighborhood roads in spots. There are spotty dunes along this stretch. Some minor road damage was noted and debris was moved onto some roadways. At Holly Beach water completely surged across the coastal ridge. Water reached a depth of 2 feet deep along portions of highway 82 just west of Holly Beach. Several Campers, sheds, and some vehicles were damaged by the fast moving flood waters. Some residents were awakened by waves hitting their campers and called the local police department for help. A couple of pets were also drowned at one residence. The water level at Calcasieu Pass rose to 5.83 feet above MLLW around one hour after reaching 3 feet.

Seiche, East Cameron

When: November 23, 1:56 AM CST to 4:00 AM CST
Where: East Cameron forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: C-MAN Station
Coordinates: 29.847, -93.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The water level at Cameron rose to 3 feet above MLLW just before 2 AM CST as a line of storms approached. Around one hour later and when the line of storms moved by the water level quickly spiked to 5.83 feet above MLLW. Flood water from the Gulf of Mexico poured into the town of Cameron. Streets flooded and dumpsters and out building were displaced. One bar received around one inch of flood water. Farther east at Rutherford Beach residents were awakened by waves crashing into their campers. Some residents floated in their campers while calling the local police department. Several campers were damaged along with sheds and vehicles. The road from Creole to Rutherford Beach was under water for a couple of days while the marsh drained.

What these are

Seiche: A standing wave in a lake or bay, pushed by wind or pressure, that flooded the shore.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Louisiana in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Louisiana, November 2014

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 545719, 545703, 545710.