Untitled Document
Skip Navigation Linkswww.nws.noaa.gov 
NOAA logo - Click to go to the NOAA homepage National Weather Service Forecast Office   NWS logo - Click to go to the NWS homepage
WFO Lake Charles, LA
    

Local weather and forecast by
"City, St" or zip code
  
NWS logo The Jambalaya
WFO Lake Charles       Winter 2007
 Previous Editions: Winter 2004 Spring 2004 Summer 2004 Fall 2004 Winter 2005
                  Spring 2005 Summer 2005 Winter 2006 Summer 2006

Major Flooding Strikes Area in October 2006
Montra Lockwood, Service Hydrologist
 

Several rain events affected the Lake Charles Hydrologic Service Area of southeast Texas and southwest and central Louisiana between October 15 and October 31.  These events resulted in major flooding for much of the area.  Each of these rainfall events were the result of similar weather patterns:  a large upper level low over the southwest U.S., a surface low over Texas with a warm front extending east, and tropical moisture transported on southwesterly flow aloft. The rainfall was initially welcome as very dry conditions had been entrenched across the region for over a year; however, the slow movement of these systems and training of heavy rain bands ultimately led to significant flooding in many locations.   

By the end of the month, many locations had received record rainfall totals.  Several areas received more than 400 percent of their normal rainfall for the month.  Some of the more notable totals in inches include:  

LOCATION

TOTAL
RAINFALL

NORMAL
RAINFALL

DEPARTURE
FROM NORMAL

PERCENT
OF NORMAL
Kountze, TX 32.03 5.09 26.94 629%
Warren, TX (RAWS) 29.32      
Silsbee, TX 27.29      
Wildwood, TX 26.50      
Moss Bluff, LA (NWS Employee) 24.87      
Moss Bluff, LA 24.58 4.37 20.21 562%
Orange, TX 24.16 4.22 19.94 573%
Sam Rayburn Reservoir 23.98 4.84 19.14 495%
De Ridder, LA 23.52 4.18 19.34 563%
Old Town Bay, LA 23.18      
Woodville, TX (RAWS) 22.83      
Opelousas, LA 22.69 4.89 17.80 464%
Ragley, LA 22.34      
Jasper, TX 22.31 4.02 18.29 555%
Toledo Bend Reservoir 22.21 4.06 18.15 547%
Buna, TX (RAWS) 22.02      
Lumberton, TX 22.00      
Newton, TX 20.69 3.82 16.87 542%
Sam Houston Jones S.P., LA 20.65      
Woodville, TX 20.46 3.02 17.44 677%

Many river locations experienced significant historical crests. Preliminary record crests were noted along the Village Creek at Kountze and along the Neches River near Weiss Bluff.  Other locations had crests within their all-time top 10 river crests.  These included the Neches River at Evadale and at Beaumont, the Sabine River at Deweyville, the Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake, and the Calcasieu River near Old Town Bay, at Saltwater Barrier and along the west fork at Sam Houston Jones State Park.


 

RIVER LOCATION

 CREST PRELIMINARY
HISTORICAL
LEVEL
Village Creek at Kountze, TX 28.33 FT 1st (Preliminary)
Neches River at Weiss Bluff, TX 21.10 FT 1st (Estimated)
Neches River at Beaumont, TX 11.70 FT 2nd
Calcasieu River at Old Town Bay, LA 10.40 FT 5th
Calcasieu River at Sam Houston Jones State Park, LA 10.90 FT 5th
Pine Island Bayou at Sour Lake. TX 31.03 FT 7th
Calcasieu River at Salt Water Barrier, LA 6.35 FT 8th
Neches River at Evadale, TX 19.46 FT 8th
Sabine River at Deweyville, TX 27.93 FT 8th
 


By the time the rain had ended, widespread flooding had caused significant damage across much of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.  Numerous roads had damage from floodwaters, and some roadways, including Cooks Lake Road on the north side of Beaumont, had been washed out.  Near Lakeview, in northwestern Orange County, numerous homes flooded and many roads were impassable.  The Orange County OEM conducted several rescues in this area as water levels rose rapidly in a short period of time. After the initial rain event dropped nearly 15 inches of rain in two days near Kountze, several highways around Hardin County were closed for many days, including nearly all of the main highways around Kountze.

The heavy rain event on October 26th caused problems for many residents in southwest Louisiana.  About 12 to 15 inches of rain fell in the Moss Bluff area in Calcasieu Parish during the 24 hour period from the morning of the 26th through the morning of the 27th, with most of this rainfall occurring within a 12 hour period.  According to the 1997 Technical Report from the Southern Region Climate Center, The Rainfall Frequency/Magnitude Atlas for the South Central United States, these totals represent a 50- to 100-year rainfall event for this area.  Numerous homes and businesses flooded and roadways became impassable in Moss Bluff and across northwestern Calcasieu Parish along the Houston River.  Four employees at the Lake Charles National Weather Service office had water in their homes in Moss Bluff.  Highway 171 north of Gillis had to be closed due to high water.

Flooding image
The Village Creek overflows Highway 327 near Silsbee, Texas on October 21, 2006

Flooding image
A car is submerged in floodwaters near Moss Bluff, Louisiana on October 27, 2006

Arrow to next page
Page last modified: January 10, 2007

Privacy Policy