Southern Louisiana Tornado Outbreak Radar Observations from 1999

A 1999 tornado outbreak in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana produced 14 tornadoes, including one F3 and five F2 events. The data includes radar indications from WSR-88D systems in Lake Charles and Fort Polk, with an average warning lead time of 24 minutes. This case study was compiled by SCIOPS and published via UCAR/JOSS/NOAA/CODIAC.

Use Cases

• Analyze relationships between radar signatures and tornado intensity ratings like F3, F2, and F0-F1.
• Model the spatial distribution of tornado touchdowns across southern Louisiana and southeast Texas.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of WSR-88D radar warning systems using the documented 24-minute average lead time.
• Study the climatological anomaly of 12 tornadoes occurring in two days against a regional annual average of 13.

Strengths

• Documents a specific, significant meteorological event with 14 confirmed tornadoes.
• Includes radar data from two specific WSR-88D stations (Lake Charles and Fort Polk).
• Provides precise temporal context for the outbreak on 1-2 January 1999.

Limitations

• Unknown sample size, row count, and specific data columns.
• Data is from a single historical event, limiting generalizability.
• Unknown file formats and data structure.

Provenance

Source

UCAR/JOSS/NOAA/CODIAC COMET Case Study 027.

Collection Method

Compiled from WSR-88D radar observations and post-event analysis.

Time Range

1999-01-01 to 1999-01-02.

Freshness

null

Geography

Southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, United States.