Lightning struck an apartment starting a fire.
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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.
Lightning struck an apartment starting a fire.
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 Sep 15, 2:53 PM CST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 353 PM CDT Sat Sep 15 2018 .DISCUSSION... As expected, convection was somewhat delayed in developing this afternoon, but has finally begun to do so over the last couple of hours. The concordant lack of cloud cover has allowed afternoon highs to rise into the mid 90's across much of the region. With hi res guidance consistent and accurate thus far on the evolution of the convection, confidence is higher than average that this activity will linger on into the late evening before dissipating between 03 and 06Z. The upper ridge in place across the central U.S. today will be shunted off to the north by the steadily decaying and northwesterly advancing tropical storm Florence (or what may be its remnants by this time tomorrow). It was thought yesterday that some of the drier air wrapping around the western side of Florence would be enough to inhibit precipitation Sunday, but the latest guidance is in good agreement that this drier air will not make it far enough south to materially affect precip chances. Rather, with the ridging out of the way, convection may equal or perhaps slightly exceed this afternoon's activity. The new work week will bring a fairly consistent pattern. Upper ridging aloft builds back across the region from the west, but deep tropical moisture through the column will allow for scattered diurnally driven convection each afternoon through Friday. Jones && .MARINE... Light offshore flow is expected to continue into Sunday. Southerly flow will return early next week along with scattered showers and thunderstorms each day. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AEX 72 95 73 95 / 30 20 10 30 LCH 75 93 75 93 / 30 40 10 40 LFT 74 94 75 94 / 30 30 10 30 BPT 75 92 75 91 / 20 40 10 30 && .LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...None. TX...None. GM...None. && PUBLIC...66
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 353 PM CDT Sat Sep 15 2018 LAZ027>033-041>045-052>055-073-074-TXZ180-201-215-216-259>262- 162100- 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- 353 PM CDT Sat Sep 15 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Louisiana, south central Louisiana, southwest Louisiana, west central Louisiana, and southeast Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue to develop and drift to the southwest through the evening. This activity will gradually come to an end late this evening. No severe weather is anticipated. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop each afternoon before coming to an end during the evening. While severe storms are not anticipated, a few stronger storms could produce locally heavy rainfall, frequent lightning and gusty winds. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-162100- 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- 353 PM CDT Sat Sep 15 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Gulf of Mexico. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Isolated showers and thunderstorms will drift to the southwest across the coastal waters this afternoon and into tonight. Severe storms are not anticipated. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms traverse the coastal waters consistently during the upcoming week. While severe storms are not anticipated, a few stronger storms could produce visibility restricting rainfall, frequent lightning and gusty winds. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
524 PM CDT SAT SEP 15 2018
LAZ052-074-152330-
Vermilion LA-East Cameron LA-
524 PM CDT SAT SEP 15 2018
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...
At 522 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms
in Vermilion parish near Forked Island, moving southwest at 5 mph.
Winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Abbeville, Kaplan, Gueydan, Intracoastal City, Forked Island, Erath,
Meaux, Esther, Wright, Henry and Florence Landing.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 2987 9278 3004 9255 3007 9230 3013 9222
3001 9197 2974 9212 2972 9215 2974 9214
2974 9213 2976 9213 2977 9215 2975 9215
2976 9218 2975 9216 2974 9217 2975 9221
2971 9218 2970 9213 2958 9218
TIME...MOT...LOC 2222Z 057DEG 6KT 2986 9239
K. KuyperThe Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 5 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:27 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Broadcast media reported lightning struck an apartment building and started a fire which produced extensive damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, September 2018
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: 784789.