The southern stream of the jet remained over the area for multiple days driving a series of short waves across the region. This resulted in a few days of unsettled weather.
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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.
The southern stream of the jet remained over the area for multiple days driving a series of short waves across the region. This resulted in a few days of unsettled weather.
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 19, 5:28 PM CST, 3 hours 52 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lake Charles LA 628 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... - An unsettled pattern will be in place from late Tuesday into the weekend as the southern jet stream brings a series of upper level disturbances to work with a very moist air mass. - The showers and thunderstorms that develop will have the potential to produce high rain rates and there is a risk of heavy rainfall and a risk for flooding into early next week. - Temperatures will remain on the warm and humid side. && .DISCUSSION... (This evening through next Monday) Issued at 124 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026 Midday surface analysis shows high pressure extending across the southeastern US from the Atlantic, while a cold front is draped from the Great Lakes to near DFW. The pressure gradient between these two features has again resulted in a somewhat breezy SE to S flow across the CWA today. Aloft, ridging dominates the east CONUS while troughing is over the Rockies, providing a W to SW flow overhead between these two features. A combination of southerly flow at the surface and southwesterly flow aloft will persist through the next several days, keeping a steady influx of warm, moist air into the region. In addition, a series of upper level shortwaves/disturbances are expected to pass overhead in the SWrly flow beginning tonight and continuing into the weekend, providing ample support for convection. Unsurprisingly, this combination of disturbances aloft and a steady stream of moisture throughout the column will bring about several days of warm and wet weather that will last through the end of the forecast period. Area radar this afternoon shows just a few isolated showers ongoing, amid otherwise cloudy skies. This trend should continue until later this evening/tonight, when the first in what is expected to be a series of MCS's arrives. CAMs are rather split on how much tonight's MCS actually holds together, with the HRRR keeping a strong line of storms all the way to the coast overnight, while other guidance shows part of the line tapering out/weakening as it draws closer to I-10. Regardless, this line will be accompanied by a chance for both excessive rainfall and severe weather, with damaging winds begin the main concern. SPC has backed off a bit, now including majority of the region (excluding lower Acadiana) in a Marginal Risk (previous SLGT Risk was trimmed back). On the other hand, WPC has bumped things up a bit, now outlining nearly all of SE TX in a Slight Risk with the remaining area in a Marginal Risk for Excessive Rainfall. Both of these risks will begin to ramp up this evening and continue through the early morning hours tomorrow, before another lull in convection arrives by sunrise. Tomorrow through Saturday, a Marginal Risk for Excessive Rainfall exists area-wide each day as several more rounds of rainfall are expected. However, like today, periods of dry conditions will occur between rounds of showers and storms each day. While it won't be possible to predict who/where exactly will get rain each day, guidance is hitting hard on the largest rainfall totals occurring over SE TX and CENLA, with the lower end totals over Acadiana. Beyond Saturday, long range guidance shows little change in the overall pattern, with more upper level shortwaves arriving on Sun/Mon which will more than likely induce more rounds of showers and storms through Memorial Day. Temperature wise, very little day to day changes are expected as showers/cloud cover will keep highs in the mid 80s each day, while a warm and moist airmass will hold overnight lows in the low to mid 70s. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 623 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026 Daytime heating pop up showers or storms will continue until sundown or about 20/01z with VFR conditions away from the convection. Tonight there is a chance for a complex of thunderstorms ahead of a weak frontal boundary. May be some low visibility with heavy rain along with gusty winds. Tried to time the movement of the complex with the latest CAM guidance and with PROB30 groups. MVFR ceilings and visibility are likely during the overnight into around 20/14z Wednesday. Daytime heating will bring about another chance for showers and thunderstorms after 20/19z. 07/Rua && .MARINE... Issued at 124 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026 A light to moderate southeast to south flow around 5-15 kts and light to modest seas around 1-4 feet will persist through the week and into the weekend. Chances for showers and thunderstorms will increase by Wednesday and remain high through the week into the weekend as a stalled frontal boundary and a series of upper level disturbances produce several waves of precipitation. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 124 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026 A light to moderate southerly flow will continue through the next several days bringing in rich amounts of Gulf moisture. Afternoon Minimum RH values will be around 70 percent or greater each day through the weekend. High chances for daily showers and thunderstorms are expected through the week into early next week as a stalled frontal boundary and a series of upper level disturbances provide waves of precipitation each day. Some locally heavy rainfall will be possible. && .LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LA...None. TX...None. GM...None. && PUBLIC/FIRE/MARINE...17 AVIATION...07
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
549 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026
TXZ180-259-260-192330-
Northern Newton TX-Northern Jasper TX-Tyler TX-
549 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTH CENTRAL TYLER...
NORTHWESTERN NEWTON AND NORTHEASTERN JASPER COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM
CDT...
At 549 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Ebenezer, moving northeast at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to vegetation and outdoor
objects is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Jasper, Ebenezer, Browndell, Harrisburg, and Sam Rayburn Dam.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
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 3084 9403 3094 9430 3107 9429 3111 9406
3114 9403 3116 9391 3117 9375
TIME...MOT...LOC 2249Z 205DEG 19KT 3104 9408
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
RuaSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
631 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026
LAZ027-TXZ259-260-200015-
Vernon LA-Northern Newton TX-Northern Jasper TX-
631 PM CDT Tue May 19 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHERN NEWTON AND NORTHEASTERN
JASPER COUNTIES THROUGH 715 PM CDT...
At 631 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Harrisburg, or 12 miles northwest of Burkeville, moving northeast at
25 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to vegetation and outdoor
objects is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Toledo Bend Dam, Browndell, Jamestown, Farrsville, Harrisburg,
Mayflower, and Wiergate.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
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 3117 9345 3089 9385 3108 9412 3111 9410
3111 9406 3114 9403 3116 9391 3118 9362
3117 9358 3119 9355 3123 9354 3124 9355
TIME...MOT...LOC 2331Z 225DEG 22KT 3110 9385
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
RuaThe Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 13 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:19 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Photos of displaced and blown over outdoor furniture in Westlake. A home near the National Golf Course had shingles blown off.
Power poles and trees were downed in Lake Charles.
A tree fell onto a home on Wren Street in Morgan City. No injuries occurred. A tree was also downed on Fig Street.
A wind gust of 51 knots was recorded at Chennault Airport.
A tree was downed near Ragley.
Trees reported down on Highway 112 near the intersection of US 171, on Dogwood Trail in DeRidder, on Smyrna Road in Singer, and on Highway 110 near Singer.
Tree reported down south of Grant and another near Elizabeth.
Numerous trees downed in the Glenmora area.
Trees were downed onto Highway 121 in Gardner.
Trees were downed in the Boyce and Flatwoods areas.
Roadways were covered with water in Leesville.
A tree was downed on US 71 south of LA 107 near Big Cane.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, May 2026
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1341664, 1341665, 1341675, 1341666, 1341659, 1341658, 1341653, 1341670, 1341669, 1341671, 1341681, 1341672.