Project Dates

January 1, 1999 to January 2, 1999

Project Description

On 1-2 January 1999, southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana experienced a major tornado outbreak which featured 1 F3, 5 F2's, and 8 F0-F1's. While southern Louisiana's annual average for tornados is 13 (1950-1995), it hosted 12 tornados on 1-2 January. All of the tornados were indicated by WSR-88D radars in Lake Charles and Fort Polk, Louisiana. The average lead time was an impressive 24 minutes. There was one fatality in Texas, but, given the severity of the outbreak and the fact that it happened overnight, it is fortunate that there were not more people injured or killed.

Objectives

This case expands our coverage of severe weather to Texas and Louisiana, and allows study of a major severe weather outbreak along the Gulf Coast in January.

Data Access for COMET Case Study 027