Flash Flood — Calcasieu, Louisiana

2021-05-17 · near Lake Charles Lake, Calcasieu, Louisiana

Direct deaths

$500.0M

Property damage

Event narrative

Thunderstorms moved very slowly across Lake Charles and the surrounding area while back building during the late morning to mid afternoon of the 17th. One rain gage recorded near 22 inches of rain in South Lake Charles during the event, but a large swath received 10 inches or more. Most streets were flooded and impassable. Numerous vehicles were flooded and some were swept off the roads into ditches and and bayous. One person drown when their car floated into a ditch. Numerous homes and businesses were flooded in South Lake Charles some of which were still being repaired from Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Some schools and churches in the area also flooded.

Wider weather episode

A cold front moved in and stalled while multiple upper level disturbances moved through. High moisture levels and ample lift provided a few days of flooding and severe thunderstorms.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (30.2248, -93.2212)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 960716. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.