A weak and short lived tornado developed near Iota.
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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 weak and short lived tornado developed near Iota.
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 11, 5:44 AM CST, 3 hours 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 644 AM CDT MON MAY 11 2015 .AVIATION...THE HIGH RESOLUTION SHORT RANGE MODEL TAKES THE BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS APROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST INTO THE TERMINALS LATER THIS MORNING. POSSIBLE CONDITIONS AS LOW AS LIFR CIGS WITH RAIN ASSUMING THE CURRENT ACTIVITY WEAKENS AS SOME SIGNS HAVE INDICATED. SINCE ATMOSPHERE WOULD BE WORKED OVER BY THIS AFTERNOON WILL GO WITH VFR CIGS WITH VCTS. LATE TNITE AS THE WEAK FRONT APPROACHES, MVFR WITH LIGHT RAIN. SWEENEY && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 343 AM CDT MON MAY 11 2015/ DISCUSSION...MAIN FORECAST ISSUE WILL BE POPS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER NE TEXAS HAS SLOWLY SHIFTED SE DURING THE NIGHT. LATEST HRRR MAY BE A LITTLE QUICK IN PUSHING THE LINE INTO NW PART OF THE FORECAST AREA BY 12Z...BUT THERE IS CERTAINLY POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THE LINE BY THAT TIME. EVEN IF LINE WEAKENS...REMNANT BOUNDARIES COMBINED WITH RICH THTE AIR WILL LIKELY KEEP GOOD COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR TODAY ESPECIALLY ACROSS EAST TEXAS AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA. WILL TWEAK CURRENT POPS FORECAST FOR TODAY BUT OVERALL NOT MUCH CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS FORECASTS. FOR TUESDAY...MODELS SHOW VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE IN UPPER SW FLOW AND THIS SHOULD FURTHER ENHANCE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. A SERIES OF UPPER SHORT WAVE TROUGHS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE WESTERN U.S. THROUGH THE WEEK. ALSO...MODELS ARE SHOWING A BROAD NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH BECOMING ESTABLISHED OVER THE WEST COAST BY LATE IN THE WEEK. AT THE SURFACE...FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS FORECASTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA AND STALL THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY. A VERY MOIST AIRMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE WEEK. WILL THEREFORE MAINTAIN MAINLY DIURNAL SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. WILL LOWER POPS SLIGHTLY OVER THE WEEKEND AS SURFACE BOUNDARY SHOULD BE LESS DEFINED OR DIFFUSE. MARINE....WILL ALLOW SCEC TO EXPIRE AT 5 AM FOR INNER AND OUTER WATERS. WITH BOUNDARY APPROACHING THE AREA ON TUESDAY...GRADIENT SHOULD WEAKEN AND LOW LEVEL FLOW SHOULD BECOME MORE EASTERLY. PROGRESSION OF HIGH PRESSURE TOWARD THE EAST COAST WILL ALLOW FOR A WEAK SOUTHERLY FLOW FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. 04 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AEX 84 68 79 65 / 60 70 70 30 LCH 83 71 83 70 / 50 50 70 30 LFT 86 72 84 70 / 40 40 60 30 BPT 83 72 82 71 / 50 60 70 30 && .LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...NONE. TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && AVIATION...11
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 414 AM CDT MON MAY 11 2015 GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-052>055- 073-074-TXZ180-201-215-216-259>262-120915- 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-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 CDT MON MAY 11 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO...CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...EAST CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE BEST COVERAGE WILL LIKELY BE OVER EAST TEXAS AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. LARGE HAIL AND WIND DAMAGE WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OCCUR AS WELL WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES MAINLY OVER EAST TEXAS AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE THROUGH AREA ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. A COOL FRONT WILL MOVE THE NEAR THE GULF COAST AND WILL LIKELY STALL OVER THE REGION. THIS BRING NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR TUESDAY. WHILE A SEVERE STORM IS POSSIBLE...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS. WITH BOUNDARY STALLED OVER THE AREA FOR NEARLY THE REMAINDER OF THIS WEEK...SCATTERED MAINLY DAYTIME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY. THE ACTIVITY IS FORECASTED TO BECOME MORE ISOLATED BY THE WEEKEND. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS. THE THREAT FOR FLOODING WILL LIKELY INCREASE GIVEN THE PROLONGED PERIOD FOR FORECASTED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK...ESPECIALLY FOR TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 723 AM CDT MON MAY 11 2015 TXZ180-201-111245- HARDIN-TYLER- 723 AM CDT MON MAY 11 2015 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN HARDIN AND SOUTHWESTERN TYLER COUNTIES... AT 722 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER ALABAMA-COUSHATTA RESERVATION...OR 12 MILES EAST OF LIVINGSTON...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND DIME SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WOODVILLE...WARREN...IVANHOE AND HILLISTER. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. LAT...LON 3079 9432 3051 9446 3055 9455 3078 9461 TIME...MOT...LOC 1222Z 291DEG 24KT 3075 9472 SWEENEY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
749 AM CDT MON MAY 11 2015
TXZ180-201-111345-
HARDIN-TYLER-
749 AM CDT MON MAY 11 2015
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTH CENTRAL HARDIN AND
SOUTHERN TYLER COUNTIES...
AT 748 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 8 MILES SOUTH OF CHESTER...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND DIME SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WOODVILLE...WILDWOOD...WARREN...IVANHOE AND HILLISTER.
LAT...LON 3092 9452 3066 9418 3045 9446 3062 9457
3063 9457 3086 9462
TIME...MOT...LOC 1248Z 328DEG 20KT 3081 9457
SWEENEYThe Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:34 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple pictures were received from a weak tornado that developed over a field near Iota. No damage was caused by the tornado as it dissipated quickly in the same field.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Louisiana, 2015Warnings in Louisiana, May 2015
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: 573600.