May 22, 2008 Flash Flooding & Severe Weather |
Just one week after widespread severe weather and flood event struck the region, another signficant severe weather event impacted Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.
An upper level disturbance moving across the area sparked several strong to severe thunderstorms during the morning and afternoon hours across Southeast Texas and Central Louisiana. Several Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were issued, with numerous reports of large hail and wind damage received from these storms. This activity moved quickly northeastward, and spread into South-Central Louisiana. However, thunderstorms began continually redeveloping, or training, over Lafayette and St. Martin parishes during the afternoon hours, prompting the issuance of Flash Flood Warnings. Within just a couple of hours, up to 9 inches of rain had fallen across eastern Lafayette Parish and the northwestern half of St. Martin Parish, causing widespread flooding. Although the heavy rainfall subsided during the evening, the extensive flooding prompted the Flash Flood Warning to be extended for several more hours.
By evening, the low level jet began increasing across the area, with showers and thunderstorms redeveloping over much of central and southern Louisiana. Thunderstorms began training over portions of southeastern Evangeline Parish and St. Landry Parish, with another Flash Flood Warning issued for that region, and several reports of water over highways underwater received.
FLASH FLOOD WARNING (#1) for Lafayette & Breaux Bridge areas |
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 501 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... SOUTHEASTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES KROTZ SPRINGS... SOUTHEASTERN LAFAYETTE PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES LAFAYETTE...BROUSSARD...YOUNGSVILLE... NORTHWESTERN ST. MARTIN PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES BREAUX BRIDGE...HENDERSON...CECILIA... * UNTIL 800 PM CDT * AT 456 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED FLASH FLOODING FROM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM LAFAYETTE TO HENDERSON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 14 MPH. RADAR ESTIMATES 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA IN THE PAST HOUR. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY AUTOMOBILE. |
FLASH FLOOD WARNING (#2) for Lafayette & Breaux Bridge areas |
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 753 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... SOUTHEASTERN ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES KROTZ SPRINGS... EASTERN LAFAYETTE PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES LAFAYETTE...BROUSSARD...YOUNGSVILLE... NORTHWESTERN ST. MARTIN PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES BREAUX BRIDGE...CECILIA...HENDERSON... * UNTIL 1100 PM CDT * AT 752 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS CONTINUED TO REPORT FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. IN ADDITION...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO FORM OVER THE REGION...AND ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 38 MPH. RADAR ESTIMATES THAT 4 TO 9 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS...WITH WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF FLOODED HOMES AND STREETS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY AUTOMOBILE. |
FLASH FLOOD WARNING for Chataignier & Opelousas areas |
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 858 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... SOUTHEASTERN EVANGELINE PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES CHATAIGNIER... CENTRAL ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA... THIS INCLUDES OPELOUSAS...EUNICE...PORT BARRE...WASHINGTON... * UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT * AT 857 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED FLASH FLOODING FROM THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE FROM EUNICE TO KROTZ SPRINGS...MOVING EAST AT 21 MPH. RADAR ESTIMATES THAT 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA IN THE PAST HOUR. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. |
REPORTS VALID FROM 7 AM CDT 5/22/08 TO 7 AM CDT 5/23/08 |
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY |