Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed over Southeast Texas during the afternoon. One storm produced a brief tornado.
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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.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed over Southeast Texas during the afternoon. One storm produced a brief tornado.
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 Mar 11, 11:51 AM CST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1151 AM CST Sat Mar 11 2017
.AVIATION...
Areas of SH and -RA will continue to slowly lift the ENE and E
this afternoon into this evening resulting in continued VFR/MVFR
conditions with TEMPO IFR in vicinity of the steadier areas of
rainfall. Early this evening all sites are expected to transition
to MVFR and prevailing -RA as areas of steadier rainfall build
into the CWA. Periods of RA, reduced visibility and ceilings will
be possible mainly from 00Z-04Z for KBPT/KLCH and 04Z-08Z for
KAEX/KLFT/KARA. In addition, this package continues VCTS and
TEMPO TSRA for KBPT/KLCH during the early evening hours. IFR
ceilings and areas of MVFR fog are expected to linger behind the
passage of the steadiest rain into the early morning hours.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AEX 66 45 56 45 / 60 80 20 0
LCH 72 51 59 48 / 60 80 30 0
LFT 74 55 62 52 / 50 100 40 0
BPT 71 51 62 49 / 60 80 30 0
&&
.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...None.
TX...None.
GM...Small Craft Advisory from 5 AM to 7 PM CDT Sunday for GMZ470-472-
475.
SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION from late tonight through Sunday
evening for GMZ450-452-455.
&&
AVIATION...26Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 508 AM CST Sat Mar 11 2017 LAZ027>033-041>045-052>055-073-074-TXZ180-201-215-216-259>262- 121115- 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- 508 AM CST Sat Mar 11 2017 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 Patchy dense fog will be possible through mid morning along and south of the I-10 corridor. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop during the early afternoon and increase in coverage through the evening and overnight. While widespread severe weather is not anticipated, a few storms could be on the stronger side with heavy rain and frequent lightning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Ongoing showers and thunderstorms Sunday morning will gradually end from northwest to southeast as a cold front pushes through the area. Behind the front, winds will turn breezy with gusts of 20 to 25 mph expected. These strong winds will diminish Sunday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-121115- 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- 508 AM CST Sat Mar 11 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Gulf of Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Patchy dense fog will be possible through mid morning from the coast out 20 miles. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop during the early afternoon and increase in coverage through the evening and overnight. While widespread severe weather is not anticipated, a few storms could be on the stronger side with heavy rain and frequent lightning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Ongoing showers and thunderstorms Sunday morning will gradually end from northwest to southeast as a cold front pushes through the area. Behind the front, winds will increase with gusts of 30 to 35 knots expected. A small craft advisory has been issued from Sunday morning through Sunday evening. These winds will diminish Sunday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. Jones
The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:46 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Broadcast media shared a video of a brief tornado that occurred in a field. The tornado moved roughly half a mile through the field causing no damage. Multiple reports funnel clouds were also received from this storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2017Warnings in Texas, March 2017
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: 687972.