Significant Weather Events

Monday, June 4th 2007, had conditions again appear favorable for severe weather to develop across the region, despite the widespread severe weather that had affected much of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana the previous day.  One mid-level jet streak moved eastward across southern Louisiana during the morning hours, while another stronger mid-level jet streak, unusual for June, moved southeastward from Texas into Louisiana later in the day.  A very warm and unstable airmass was in place all across the region, with temperatures expected to warm into the upper 80s and lower 90s with dewpoints in the 60s and 70s.  The complex of thunderstorms that had pushed across the area on Sunday, June 3rd, left an outflow boundary that stretched from around Woodville, Texas to Lake Charles, Louisiana and eastward to around New Iberia, Louisiana.  This boundary separated somewhat drier air to the north from more moist air to the south.

NORTHERN VERMILION PARISH FLOODING
Showers and thunderstorms began developing early in the morning across Acadiana south of Lafayette along the outflow boundary.  This boundary moved slowly northward into northern Vermilion Parish, southern Lafayette Parish, and northern Iberia Parish by early afternoon, before stalling between the cities of Kaplan and Maurice.  Showers and thunderstorms, some even reaching severe levels, continued to regenerate along this boundary near Gueydan and moved eastward throughout the afternoon, leading to torrential rainfall in a narrow corridor across northern Vermilion Parish.  By Monday evening, radar had estimated that 10 to 14 inches of rain had fallen about 2 miles southwest of Maurice.  This led to widespread flooding of homes in the area, some of which had reportedly never flooded before.  Many roadways in the area were also submerged, including major thoroughfares such as Highway 167.  Media reports indicate around 50 homes received flood damage.

LAKE CHARLES HAILSTORM
Further to the west, an isolated severe thunderstorm developed near Corrigan, Texas, along the outflow boundary left from the complex of thunderstorms that affected the region on June 3rd.  This storm moved southeastward along the boundary into Tyler County during the afternoon.  As it approached the Colmesneil and Woodward areas, large hail and damaging winds began to be reported.  Radar showed this storm to be an outflow-dominant multicell/occasional supercell thunderstorm, a type of severe thunderstorm which produces mainly damaging winds and large hail instead of tornadoes.  The storm continued southeastward at 35 to 40 mph across Jasper and Newton Counties, and continued to produce large hail and wind damage reports as it moved into Southwest Louisiana.  

As the storm entered southwestern Beauregard and Calcasieu parishes, radar began showing a large area of 50 to 70 mph winds heading towards the Lake Charles metropolitan area.  The thunderstorm began intensifying even further as it reached the Carlyss area, with radar-indicated winds up to 80 mph and a strong likelihood of large hail.  As the storm moved into Lake Charles, numerous reports of high winds and hail up to golfball size covering the ground were received, mainly in southern Lake Charles south of the I-210 corridor.  When the storm reached the NWS Lake Charles office (located at the Lake Charles Regional Airport), several winds gusts over 55 mph were recorded, with the peak gust reaching 75 mph (equivalent to a Category 1 Hurricane).  The storm continued to intensify as it moved southeast of Lake Charles into southeastern Calcasieu Parish, with radar indicating winds up to 90 mph and a substantial area of large hail.  However, no reports of damage were received in this area.  The storm began to weaken as it moved into southern Jefferson Davis, northeastern Cameron, and western Vermilion parishes - due to the rain-cooled air from the numerous thunderstorms across Acadiana - and finally dissipated along the coast after its 150 mile journey. 

A quick look at historical records shows that there have been 31 reports of golfball size (1.75" diameter) or larger hail somewhere in Calcasieu Parish since 1960, with May the peak month for 1.75" or larger hail and June a close second.  However, there have been no recorded major damaging hailstorms in the parish.  The June 4th event severely damaged 11 homes (mainly due to falling trees), and there were widespread reports of broken windows, trees blown onto homes, and vehicles damaged.  Damage amounts in dollars from this storm are conservatively estimated at around $500,000.  All of this data indicates the June 4th event was one of the most damaging hailstorms in Lake Charles' history - a truly historic event!