Significant Weather Events

High Wind event of March 17-18, 2008

An intense area of low pressure developing across Texas from Monday March 17 into Tuesday March 18 combined with a strong area of high pressure across the Southeastern U.S. to create a tight pressure gradient across the Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. This led to two days of strong southeasterly winds across the area, with the heaviest winds across the area, with the heaviest winds occurring on Tuesday March 18. The gusty winds led to numerous reports of downed trees and power lines, power outages, and other minor damage.

This was the strongest non-convective wind event across Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana since October 15-16, 2006.

By late in the day, a cold front pushing eastward across the area spawned a few severe thunderstorms over far eastern portions of Central and South-Central Louisiana, prompting the issuance of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and Tornado Warnings. No evidence of tornadoes was found, but some reports of trees down were received with these storms.

A large tree was
blown down near the
Big Cane Baptist Church in
northern St. Landry Parish

Another view of a large tree blown down near the
Big Cane Baptist Church

The large tree crushed a fence near the
Big Cane Baptist Church

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
901 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008

...SPRING STORM SYSTEM BRINGS WIDESPREAD HIGH WINDS TO THE AREA...

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MAX SUSTAINED WINDS AND PEAK WIND GUSTS FOR MARCH 17-18 2008:

LOCATION (ASOS)        MARCH 17    MARCH 17    MARCH 18    MARCH 18
                       SUST WND    PK GUST     SUST WND    PK GUST

ALEXANDRIA              26 MPH      38 MPH      35 MPH     48 MPH
BEAUMONT                35 MPH      47 MPH      36 MPH     45 MPH
LAKE CHARLES            32 MPH      44 MPH      39 MPH     52 MPH
LAFAYETTE               23 MPH      35 MPH      33 MPH     47 MPH
NEW IBERIA              30 MPH      38 MPH      40 MPH     54 MPH

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MAX SUSTAINED WINDS AND PEAK WIND GUSTS FOR MARCH 18 2008:

LOCATION (AWOS/MESONET)    MARCH 18    MARCH 18
                           SUST WND    PK GUST

ALEXANDRIA ESLER            30 MPH      48 MPH
FORT POLK SELF STRIP        29 MPH      47 MPH
FORT POLK                   30 MPH      44 MPH
DERIDDER                    31 MPH      45 MPH
OAKDALE                     30 MPH      43 MPH
PATTERSON                   29 MPH      40 MPH
ORANGE                      23 MPH      38 MPH
JASPER                      17 MPH      30 MPH

CROWLEY LAIS                34 MPH      52 MPH
LAKE CHARLES LAIS           34 MPH      52 MPH
PORT BARRE LAIS             30 MPH      52 MPH
AEX DEAN LEE LAIS           32 MPH      51 MPH
JEANERETTE LAIS             16 MPH      41 MPH

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PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1023 AM CDT FRI MAR 21 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0101 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
03/18/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            REPORTS OF TREES DOWN ON POWERLINES AND ON A HOUSE IN THE
            LAFAYETTE AREA.

0138 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 8 NE PINEVILLE          31.40N 92.30W
03/18/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            PEAK WIND GUST OF 48 MPH MEASURED AT ESLER FIELD AIRPORT
            ASOS

0146 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 3 S CENTRAL GARDENS     29.95N 94.02W
03/18/2008                   JEFFERSON          TX   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            PEAK WIND GUST OF 45 MPH MEASURED AT SOUTHEAST TEXAS
            REGIONAL AIRPORT ASOS

0154 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG SUGARTOWN               30.84N 93.01W
03/18/2008                   BEAUREGARD         LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TREE FELL ON HOME. REPORTED BY KPLC-TV.

0200 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 W BIG CANE            30.82N 92.03W
03/18/2008                   ST. LANDRY         LA   NWS STORM SURVEY

            A LARGE TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN BY THE STRONG GRADIENT WINDS
            NEXT TO BIG CANE BAPTIST CHURCH AND DESTROYED A FENCE.

0230 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG ALEXANDRIA              31.29N 92.46W
03/18/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   NEWSPAPER

            ROOF BLOWN OFF OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. SEVERAL POWER
            LINES DOWN. WITH APPROX. 2500 WITHOUT POWER IN ALEXANDRIA
            AND ABOUT 2500 WITH OUT POWER IN PINEVILLE.

0230 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG BORDELONVILLE           31.11N 91.91W
03/18/2008                   AVOYELLES          LA   NWS STORM SURVEY

            A FEW TREES AND LARGE TREE LIMBS WERE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS
            THE PARISH FROM STRONG GRADIENT WINDS.

0233 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 6 S LAKE CHARLES        30.12N 93.22W
03/18/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            PEAK WIND GUST OF 52 MPH MEASURED AT LAKE CHARLES
            REGIONAL AIRPORT ASOS

0237 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG JENNINGS                30.22N 92.66W
03/18/2008                   JEFFERSON DAVIS    LA   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            TREE FELL ON A VEHICLE

0244 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG ALEXANDRIA              31.29N 92.46W
03/18/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            52 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT KALB-TV.

0244 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG ALEXANDRIA              31.29N 92.46W
03/18/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            4 INCH DIAMETER TREE LIMB BLOWN DOWN. RELAYED FROM KALB.

0258 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 2 ESE LAFAYETTE         30.20N 92.00W
03/18/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            PEAK WIND GUST OF 47 MPH MEASURED AT LAFAYETTE REGIONAL
            AIRPORT ASOS

0313 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 6 WNW ALEXANDRIA        31.33N 92.55W
03/18/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            PEAK WIND GUST OF 48 MPH MEASURED AT ALEXANDRIA INTL
            AIRPORT ASOS

0314 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
03/18/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            STREET LIGHT BLOWN DOWN. RELAYED BY KATC.

0314 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG CARENCRO                30.31N 92.04W
03/18/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TREES REPORTED DOWN. RELAYED BY KATC.

0314 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
03/18/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            NUMEROUS TREES REPORTED DOWN. RELAYED BY KATC.

0343 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 4 WNW NEW IBERIA        30.03N 91.88W
03/18/2008                   IBERIA             LA   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            PEAK WIND GUST OF 54 MPH MEASURED AT ACADIANA REGIONAL
            AIRPORT ASOS

0354 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 6 S LAKE CHARLES        30.12N 93.22W
03/18/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            PEAK WIND GUST OF 51 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT NWS LAKE
            CHARLES OFFICE

0417 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG OPELOUSAS               30.52N 92.08W
03/18/2008                   ST. LANDRY         LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TREE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY 182 TEMPORARILY CLOSING
            THE ROAD. REPORTED BY KATC-TV.

0417 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG OPELOUSAS               30.52N 92.08W
03/18/2008                   ST. LANDRY         LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TREE BLOWN DOWN ON HOME IN OPELOUSAS. REPORTED BY
            KATC-TV.

0418 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
03/18/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SEVERAL TREES BLOWN DOWN ACROSS LAFAYETTE. WINDOW BLOWN
            OUT OF DOWNTOWN HIGH-RISE. REPORTED BY KATC-TV.

0444 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LAKE CHARLES            30.21N 93.20W
03/18/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            POWER OUTAGES REPORTED IN LAKE CHARLES BY KBIU-FM AND
            KPLC-TV.

0444 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG WESTLAKE                30.25N 93.26W
03/18/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            POWER OUTAGES REPORTED IN WESTLAKE BY KPLC-TV.

0448 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 6 SSE LAKE CHARLES      30.13N 93.16W
03/18/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   NWS EMPLOYEE

            SKIRTING ON MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED ON TANK FARM ROAD. METAL
            ROOF BLOWN OFF PATIO.

0500 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LAKE CHARLES            30.21N 93.20W
03/18/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SEVERAL TREES BLOWN DOWN AROUND LAKE CHARLES. REPORTED BY
            KPLC-TV.

0600 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LAKE CHARLES            30.21N 93.20W
03/18/2008                   CALCASIEU          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            A FEW WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT OF A DOWNTOWN BUILDING.
            REPORTED BY KPLC-TV.

0608 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG ALEXANDRIA              31.29N 92.46W
03/18/2008                   RAPIDES            LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SEVERAL TREE LIMBS AND A FEW TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS
            ALEXANDRIA. REPORTED BY KALB-TV.

1130 PM     MARINE TSTM WIND 13 SSE PECAN ISLAND     29.47N 92.37W
03/18/2008 M44.00 MPH       GMZ452             LA   PUBLIC

            REPORTED BY PLATFORM IN VERMILION BLOCK 26.

1223 AM     TSTM WND DMG     LAFAYETTE               30.22N 92.03W
03/19/2008                   LAFAYETTE          LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TREES DOWN NEAR INTERSECTION OF AMBASSADOR CAFFERTY AND
            CONGRESS. ESTIMATED WINDS UP TO 75 MPH.

1259 AM     TSTM WND DMG     CECILIA                 30.34N 91.85W
03/19/2008                   ST. MARTIN         LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TREES DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY 347.