A short wave moved into the area along the base of a larger trough. This brought a line of storms from north of Houston into deep Southeast Texas that slowly moved through.
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 short wave moved into the area along the base of a larger trough. This brought a line of storms from north of Houston into deep Southeast Texas that slowly moved through. Flash flooding occurred in Tyler county that lead an earthen dam to break north of Woodville. Moderate flooding occurred along the Neches as the water drained.
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 27, 2:09 AM CST, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
309 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2016
.DISCUSSION...
.Short Term...Today through Saturday.
Main forecast issues will be POPs especially over western parts of
the forecast area today and intensity of storms as they move
through southeast Texas this morning. Based on satellite and
radar...overall thunderstorm activity had weakened across
southeast Texas overnight as convection has increased and
intensified westward into central Texas. However...intense
convective line is beginning to organize northwest of Houston and
will likely move into southeast Texas later this morning. SPC has
issued a watch until 10 AM for southeast Texas as strong winds
and hail will be possible. Will maintain current fotrecast of
high POPs similar to ongoing forecast. Focus of stronger storms
and heavy appears to shifting further west in time. Also total QPF
through 12Z Saturday is forecasted under 1 inch so no FFA for now.
While upper trough axis will shift NE of area...rich thte air will
remain over the area so taper POPs to chance category for
Saturday. Highest POPs will remain over the north.
.Long Term...Saturday night through Thursday
A fairly persistent weak upper ridge pattern is expected through
at least the middle of next week. With rich moisture still in
place...will continue with low-end diurnal rain chances through
Wednesday. Upper trough will begin to move into the southern
Plains by late next week. Both GFS and ECMWF are showing
impressive upper diffluent flow east of the trough which would
denote potential for more heavy rain events. Temperatures should
remain near normal through late next week.
&&
.MARINE...
Persistent high pressure will continue over the eastern U.S. through
Saturday. This will keep a modest gradient over the area through
Saturday. Gradient should weaken by Sunday as high pressure builds
westward. This should bring a weak wind regime for the northern Gulf
and coastal areas for early next week.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AEX 84 71 87 70 / 50 20 40 10
LCH 83 74 85 72 / 50 20 30 10
LFT 85 72 87 71 / 20 10 20 10
BPT 83 75 86 73 / 60 40 30 10
&&
.LCH Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
LA...None.
TX...None.
GM...SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION through late tonight for GMZ450-452-
455-470-472-475.
&&
PUBLIC...04HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 407 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2016 LAZ027>033-041>045-052>055-073-074-TXZ180-201-215-216-259>262- 280915- 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- 407 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2016 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 SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH THE BEST CHANCE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. A STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS THIS MORNING OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL BEING THE PRIMARY THREATS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OCCUR AS WELL BUT AT THIS TIME...WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED MAINLY DAYTIME THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. AT THIS TIME...NO SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OR HEAVY RAINFALL THREATS ARE ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS MORNING ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS. GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-280915- 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- 407 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF GULF OF MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WATERS TODAY. SOME STORMS MAY HAVE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 25 TO 30 KNOTS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HIGHER SEAS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE STRONGER STORMS. ONSHORE FLOW OF 15 TO 20 KNOTS IS EXPECTED AS WELL. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS MAY OCCUR. AT THIS TIME...FORECASTED WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE HAZARDOUS. MARINERS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
531 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2016
TXZ180-259-271130-
NORTHERN JASPER TX-TYLER TX-
531 AM CDT FRI MAY 27 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR TYLER AND NORTHERN JASPER
COUNTIES UNTIL 630 AM CDT...
AT 530 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR CHESTER TO NEAR WILDWOOD. MOVEMENT WAS
EAST AT 25 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
JASPER...WOODVILLE...KIRBYVILLE...COLMESNEIL...CHESTER...FRED...TOWN BLUFF...
EBENEZER...WARREN...ROCKLAND...MT. UNION...MAGNOLIA SPRINGS...SPURGER...
IVANHOE...SAM RAYBURN DAM AND HILLISTER.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY LEAD
TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 AM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS.
LAT...LON 3106 9455 3105 9449 3103 9448 3103 9447
3111 9406 3113 9403 3060 9388 3054 9388
3052 9404 3053 9454 3071 9459 3101 9465
TIME...MOT...LOC 1030Z 255DEG 22KT 3096 9459 3056 9447
13The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 138 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:34 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 2 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The COOP observer near Woodville reported trees down.
Trees were blown down near Wildwood.
Trees were downed onto County Roads 23, 28, 29, and 62 in Northwest Jasper County.
A motorist driving over the Sam Rayburn Dam captured a video of a tornado south of the dam near the Angelina River. Local Law enforcement reported a few trees down near Ebenezer with no structures damaged.
Heavy rain fell across central and northwest portions of Tyler County with 3 to 6 inches of accumulation common. This fell on already saturated from storms around one week earlier. The excessive amount of rainfall caused the Lake Amanda Dam to fail which drained the lake and caused downstream evacuations along Wolf Creek. Numerous roadways were flooded during the event as well including Highways 69, 190, and 256 near Woodville.
Heavy rain produced widespread 2 to 6 inches of rainfall on already saturated soil. This produced flooding that closed portions of highway 63 near Ebenezer. Sam RayBurn Dam received 7.26 inches.
A tree was downed onto Highway 190.
A spotter estimated a wind gust around 60 MPH in Vidor.
Heavy rain produced widespread 2 to 6 inches of accumulation with the maximum reported a Sam Rayburn Dam of 7.26 inches. Flood waters drained down the Neches late in the month to produce flooding along the river. Numerous roads were flooded along with a few homes in the Barlow Lake neighborhood just south of Steinhagen Lake. A secondary higher peak from the event did not occur until early June.
A flood wave from rainfall during the 27th moved down the Neches River flooding roadways in Southern Jasper County by the end of the month. The peak of the flood reached Evadale during early June.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2016Warnings in Texas, May 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: 636242, 636240, 636237, 636236, 636235, 636244, 636238, 636243, 636258, 636261.