**Preliminary Report**

**Rain Event June 19-21 2006**

![](media/image1.png){width="1.4534722222222223in"
height="1.45625in"}![](media/image2.png){width="1.3583333333333334in"
height="1.3895833333333334in"}

National Weather Service

Lake Charles

June 29, 2006

Kent Kuyper

Jay Morris

Montra Lockwood

Roger Erickson

#  

Table of Contents

[Weather Synopsis of the Heavy Rainfall Event
2](#weather-synopsis-of-the-heavy-rainfall-event)

[Tide Gauge Readings 2](#tide-gauge-readings)

[Data Collection Points 4](#data-collection-points)

[Daily Rainfall Precipitation Estimates
5](#daily-rainfall-precipitation-estimates)

[Total Rainfall Precipitation Estimates
7](#total-rainfall-precipitation-estimates)

[IR Images 8](#ir-images)

[Surface Charts 10](#surface-charts)

[Upper Level Charts 12](#upper-level-charts)

#   {#section-1 .unnumbered}

# Weather Synopsis of the Heavy Rainfall Event

Heavy rains fell over southwest Louisiana from the 16^th^ through the
20^th^ of June, 2006. This event developed as upper level high pressure
began to break down, allowing an upper low to approach the area from the
northwest. Counter clockwise flow around this low brought pacific and
gulf moisture into the upper levels of the atmosphere. At the surface,
high pressure situated over the southeastern U.S. brought southerly
winds and gulf moisture into the lower levels. The combination of these
two features produced a deep moisture rich layer of air over the
northwestern gulf coast.

As the low spun in the upper levels, smaller disturbances rotated around
it. Each of these disturbances enhanced the instability of the
atmosphere, allowing the rich moist air to rise vertically and produce
showers and thunderstorms. This upper low meandered over southeast Texas
and southwest Louisiana for about 5 days before finally drifting
southwest and dissipating. As a result of the slow movement, the
repeated passage of disturbances and the deep moisture, moderate to
heavy rains fell from showers and thunderstorms during the period.

The heaviest of these rains fell during the early morning hours of June
19. These flooding rains were the result of the low remaining stationary
for several hours as an upper level shortwave rotated through. This
allowed an area of rain and thunderstorms to rotate in a counter
clockwise pattern around the low from Houston to Lake Charles. Locally
heavier rains fell in some locations as thunderstorms "trained" or moved
repeatedly across the same area during this period.

# Tide Gauge Readings

NOAA/NOS has two tide gauges along the Calcasieu River. The gauge near
the coast is called Calcasieu Pass, LA, which is located near the
fishing jetties in Cameron, LA. Further inland, on the lake near the
civic center in Lake Charles, LA is the second gauge, labeled Lake
Charles, LA.

The following tables show the actual water level in red, predicted water
level in blue, and the difference between actual and predicted water
levels in green. The datum for both locations is MLLW. The time is
referenced to central standard time.

For Calcasieu Pass, LA, the tidal range varied from a high of around 2.5
on the morning of 6/18/06, to a low of -0.3 on the evening of 6/21/06.
Throughout the four day period of 6/18/06 to 6/21/06, the actual tide
was within a foot of the predicted tide. Time is set to local CST.

![](media/image3.png){width="5.375694444444444in"
height="2.513888888888889in"}

Figure 1

For Lake Charles, LA, the tidal range varied from a high of around 1.4
on the afternoon of 6/18/06, to a low of -0.2 on the evening of 6/21/06.
Throughout the four day period of 6/18/06 to 6/21/06, the actual tide
was within half a foot of the predicted tide. Time is set to local CDT.

![](media/image4.png){width="5.333333333333333in"
height="2.498611111111111in"}

Figure 2

There is a lag between the tides at Calcasieu Pass and Lake Charles.
This lag occurs as tidal water travels up the ship channel from the
coast inland to near or just north of Lake Charles. There is a
difference of approximately 5 to 6 hours between the high and/or low
tides at these two locations, with the tides at Lake Charles occurring
after the high and/or low tides at Calcasieu Pass.

# Data Collection Points

These are the official CO-OP and ASOS observing in Southwest Louisiana.
The CO-OP site in Hackberry "HCK" was destroyed during Hurricane Rita.
Rainfall data from 06/17 through 06/20 for the following locations in
southwest Louisiana.

![](media/image5.png){width="5.520833333333333in"
height="4.196527777777778in"}

Rainfall reports for 24 hour period ending 7 AM in the morning each day.

+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Location                     | 06/17 | 06/18   | 06/19   | 06/20    |
|                              |       |         |         |          |
|                              | I     | INCHES  | INCHES  | INCHES   |
|                              | NCHES |         |         |          |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| WFO Lake Charles             | 0.05  | Trace   | 6.52    | Trace    |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Lake Arthur                  | N/A   | N/A     | 2.25    | N/A      |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Moss Bluff                   | 1.17  | 0.96    | 2.82    | 0.72     |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Sam Houston Jones State Park | 1.10  | 1.44    | 3.7     | 0.70     |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Port of Lake Charles         | 1.25  | 1.08    | 5.21    | 0.54     |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Salt Walter Barrier          | 1.07  | 1.07    | 2.79    | 0.78     |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Sulphur                      | N/A   | N/A     | 5.25    | N/A      |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Old Town Bay                 | 1     | 0.85    | 2.0     | N/A      |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+
| Cameron Prairie NWR          | 1.15  | 0.01    | 0.20    | 2.45     |
+------------------------------+-------+---------+---------+----------+

# Daily Rainfall Precipitation Estimates

The next four pictures show 24 hour rainfall estimates, ending at 7 am,
calculated by the NWS River Forecast Center in Slidell, LA.

![](media/image6.png){width="5.189583333333333in"
height="3.2868055555555555in"}

**Figure 4**. On June 17^th^, the heaviest rain of 1 -- 2 inches was
located along the coast, extending into parts of Cameron Parish.
Calcasieu Parish had mainly between 0.25 and 0.75 inches.

![](media/image7.png){width="5.121527777777778in"
height="3.2506944444444446in"}

**Figure 5**. On June 18^th^, the heaviest rain of up to 3 inches was
located in southeast Texas. Calcasieu Parish averaged between 0.25 and
0.75 inches.

![](media/image8.png){width="5.002083333333333in"
height="3.1840277777777777in"}

**Figure 6.** On June 19^th^, the heaviest rain of over 8 inches was
located in southeast Texas in Jefferson and Orange counties. Calcasieu
Parish had some locations see between 6 and 8 inches of rain.

![](media/image9.png){width="5.122222222222222in"
height="3.248611111111111in"}

**Figure 7.** On June 20^th^, the heaviest rain of over 3 inches was
located along the Texas and Louisiana coast. Calcasieu Parish had 1 -- 2
inches of rain.

# Total Rainfall Precipitation Estimates

![](media/image10.png){width="4.420138888888889in"
height="2.7555555555555555in"}

**Figure 8.** The five day total of rain from 6-17-06 through 6-22-06.
The heaviest rain

of 10-14 inches can be found in southeast Texas near Houston area, Port
Arthur, and Orange. In Calcasieu Parish, a small area received between
10 and 12 inches, while a larger area received between 6 and 10 inches
of rain.

![](media/image11.jpeg){width="4.509027777777778in"
height="3.2930555555555556in"}

Figure 9. The Fort Polk WSR-88D (Doppler radar) estimated 10 to 12
inches of rain fell across portions of the Sulphur to Lake Charles area
between 2 am and 11 am on Monday, June 19^th^.

# IR Images

**June 17^th^ through June 20^th^**

NOAA satellites depicted the clouds of a nearly stationary upper level
(10-20 kft) low pressure system over southeast Texas and southwest
Louisiana between June 17^th^ and 19^th^. By June 20^th^, this upper
level low started moving southwest, down the Texas coast towards Corpus
Christi.

![](media/image12.png){width="4.560416666666667in"
height="3.421527777777778in"}

Figure 10

![](media/image13.png){width="4.594444444444444in"
height="3.4298611111111112in"}

Figure 11

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height="4.253472222222222in"}

Figure 12

![](media/image15.png){width="5.64375in" height="4.231944444444444in"}

Figure 13

# Surface Charts

**June 17^th^ through June 20^th^**

High pressure was the dominant weather feature over the southeastern
United States between June 17^th^ and June 20^th^. Because this high was
east of southwest Louisiana, southerly winds were steered in off the
Gulf of Mexico, giving the region plenty of moisture to produce clouds
with showers and thunderstorms.

![](media/image16.png){width="4.676388888888889in"
height="3.323611111111111in"}

Figure 14

![](media/image17.png){width="4.676388888888889in"
height="3.5034722222222223in"}

Figure 15

![](media/image18.png){width="5.489583333333333in"
height="3.6506944444444445in"}

Figure 16

![](media/image19.png){width="5.498611111111111in"
height="4.115972222222222in"}

Figure 17

# Upper Level Charts

Average 500 mb climatological map average (taken from 1970 to 2000) of
the heights for the month of June. The typical pattern is for zonal
flow.

![](media/image20.png){width="4.190277777777778in"
height="3.240972222222222in"}

Figure 18

The second one is the upper level pattern over the region during the
period of June16 to 20, 2006.

![](media/image21.png){width="4.248611111111111in"
height="3.286111111111111in"}

Figure 19