A blocking pattern set up over the eastern sections of the country with a trough over Texas during the 18th. Multiple upper level disturbances moved through Louisiana from the 18th to the 21st providing multiple rounds of thunderstorms as the block remained in place.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 blocking pattern set up over the eastern sections of the country with a trough over Texas during the 18th. Multiple upper level disturbances moved through Louisiana from the 18th to the 21st providing multiple rounds of thunderstorms as the block remained in place. By the 21st flooding occurred over portions of South Louisiana.
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 20, 12:03 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.
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</html>HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 413 AM CDT WED APR 20 2016 GMZ435-LAZ027>033-041>045-052>055-073-074-TXZ180-201-215-216- 259>262-210915- VERMILION BAY-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- 413 AM CDT WED APR 20 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF GULF OF MEXICO...CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SQUALL LINE IS APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS MORNING AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE LAKES REGION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS BEFORE AND AROUND SUNRISE AND THEN INTO SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. THE SYSTEM IS CONTINUING TO WEAKEN AND THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. BUT THE SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE FROM ONE TO THREE INCHES IN ISOLATED AMOUNTS. THIS WILL BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SOME FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS... BAYOUS AND CREEKS. RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO TAPER OFF TOWARDS THE NOON HOUR. BUT SOME ADDITIONAL STORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT ANOTHER SYSTEM DEVELOPING EARLY THURSDAY TO THE NORTHWEST AND LIKE THE SYSTEM THIS MORNING IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH THE NORTHWEST GULF REGION ON THURSDAY. THE REGION IS FINALLY GOING TO HAVE A BREAK TOWARDS FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW LIFTS OUT OF THE REGION TO BE REPLACED BY RIDGING ALOFT WHICH WILL TURN OFF THE WATER AT LEAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAYBE REQUIRED. GMZ430-432-450-452-455-470-472-475-210915- 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 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- 413 AM CDT WED APR 20 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF GULF OF MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STORMS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE GULF FROM THE NORTHWEST. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ANOTHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DROP DOWN INTO THE REGION TOMORROW AFTER AND WE WILL SEE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AND CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAYBE REQUIRED.
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</html>The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:53 UTC.
4 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Water was reported over portions of highway 12 between Dequincy and Ragley as well as flooding of some roads around Ragley.
Allen Parish 911 reported portions of highway 190 closed due to flooding between Reeves and Kinder.
A report was received from KPLC 7 of flooding south of Dequincy on portions of Route 66. Flooding was also reported on several roads in Lake Charles, Moss Bluff, and Gillis. Several of the roadways become impassable.
Flooding was reported along Ambassador Parkway at multiple intersections. Flood waters was also reported entering a high school auditorium at the peak of the event.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, April 2016
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: 630960, 630962, 630963, 630970.