Editing Lake Charles, Louisiana (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Henderson Bayou.JPG|thumb|left|Henderson Bayou]]
Lake Charles, located on a level plain about {{convert|30|mi|km}} from the [[Gulf of Mexico]], has an elevation around {{convert|13|ft|1|abbr=on}} above sea level,<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> and is located on the banks of the [[Calcasieu River]] in [[Southwest Louisiana|southwestern Louisiana]]. It borders both [[Lake Charles (Louisiana)|Lake Charles]] and [[Prien Lake]]. [[Contraband Bayou]], Henderson Bayou, and English Bayou flow through the city. Oak and pine trees dot the landscape; the lumber industry was once the main economic engine of the area. The [[Calcasieu Ship Channel]], which allows large, ocean-going vessels to sail up from the gulf, also borders the city.
The 2010 census recorded Lake Charles' total land size was 48.6 sq mi <!-- what?  was to 2023 census records Lake Charles being 61.35 sq miles in total size -->. 
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Census|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/2241155.html|publisher=Census|access-date=April 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415050339/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/2241155.html|archive-date=April 15, 2014}}</ref> the city has a total area of {{convert|116.0|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|7.1|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 6.12%, is covered by water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2241155| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212180438/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2241155| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lake Charles city, Louisiana| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=August 14, 2014}}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Heavy Rainfall in Lake Charles, Louisiana.jpg|thumb|left|Heavy rainfall in Lake Charles]]
Lake Charles is tied with [[Port Arthur, Texas]], and [[Astoria, Oregon]], as the most humid city in the [[contiguous United States]], and the second-most humid measured location behind unincorporated Quillayute, Washington. The average relative humidity in Lake Charles is 90% in the morning, and 72% in the afternoon.<ref>{{cite web | title = Average Relative Humidity – Morning (M), Afternoon (A) | work = Comparative Climatic Data for the United States Through 2012 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: U.S. Dept. of Commerce | year = 2013 | url = http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/CCD-2012.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140718012823/http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/CCD-2012.pdf | archive-date = July 18, 2014 }}</ref> Average annual precipitation is also high among U.S. cities, at {{Convert|57.49|in|mm}} per year.

{{Weather box
| location = [[Lake Charles Regional Airport]], Louisiana (1991–2020 normals,<ref>Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.</ref> extremes 1895–present)
| single line = Y
| collapsed = Y
| Jan record high F = 88
| Feb record high F = 88
| Mar record high F = 94
| Apr record high F = 95
| May record high F = 100
| Jun record high F = 106
| Jul record high F = 103
| Aug record high F = 109
| Sep record high F = 105
| Oct record high F = 103
| Nov record high F = 92
| Dec record high F = 89
| year record high F = 109
| Jan avg record high F = 76.5
| Feb avg record high F = 78.1
| Mar avg record high F = 82.2
| Apr avg record high F = 86.4
| May avg record high F = 91.5
| Jun avg record high F = 95.4
| Jul avg record high F = 96.9
| Aug avg record high F = 98.1
| Sep avg record high F = 95.7
| Oct avg record high F = 90.5
| Nov avg record high F = 83.5
| Dec avg record high F = 78.6
| year avg record high F = 99.1
| Jan high F = 63.0
| Feb high F = 66.7
| Mar high F = 73.1
| Apr high F = 79.0
| May high F = 85.4
| Jun high F = 90.5
| Jul high F = 92.2
| Aug high F = 92.8
| Sep high F = 89.4
| Oct high F = 82.1
| Nov high F = 72.2
| Dec high F = 65.3
| year high F = 79.3
| Jan mean F = 53.2
| Feb mean F = 56.9
| Mar mean F = 63.1
| Apr mean F = 69.1
| May mean F = 76.4
| Jun mean F = 82.1
| Jul mean F = 83.9
| Aug mean F = 84.0
| Sep mean F = 80.1
| Oct mean F = 71.3
| Nov mean F = 61.4
| Dec mean F = 55.3
| year mean F = 69.7
| Jan low F = 43.4
| Feb low F = 47.1
| Mar low F = 53.1
| Apr low F = 59.3
| May low F = 67.3
| Jun low F = 73.7
| Jul low F = 75.6
| Aug low F = 75.1
| Sep low F = 70.7
| Oct low F = 60.4
| Nov low F = 50.6
| Dec low F = 45.3
| year low F = 60.1
| Jan avg record low F = 26.7
| Feb avg record low F = 31.5
| Mar avg record low F = 35.0
| Apr avg record low F = 42.9
| May avg record low F = 53.8
| Jun avg record low F = 66.0
| Jul avg record low F = 70.5
| Aug avg record low F = 69.4
| Sep avg record low F = 57.9
| Oct avg record low F = 43.3
| Nov avg record low F = 33.7
| Dec avg record low F = 29.9
| year avg record low F = 25.1
| Jan record low F = 6
| Feb record low F = 3
| Mar record low F = 14
| Apr record low F = 30
| May record low F = 40
| Jun record low F = 51
| Jul record low F = 60
| Aug record low F = 59
| Sep record low F = 45
| Oct record low F = 30
| Nov record low F = 23
| Dec record low F = 11
| year record low F = 3
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 5.89
| Feb precipitation inch = 3.26
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.67
| Apr precipitation inch = 4.44
| May precipitation inch = 5.40
| Jun precipitation inch = 6.54
| Jul precipitation inch = 5.69
| Aug precipitation inch = 6.19
| Sep precipitation inch = 5.18
| Oct precipitation inch = 4.80
| Nov precipitation inch = 4.13
| Dec precipitation inch = 4.56
| year precipitation inch = 59.75
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 9.3
| Feb precipitation days = 8.8
| Mar precipitation days = 7.8
| Apr precipitation days = 7.2
| May precipitation days = 7.9
| Jun precipitation days = 10.8
| Jul precipitation days = 11.4
| Aug precipitation days = 11.3
| Sep precipitation days = 8.7
| Oct precipitation days = 7.7
| Nov precipitation days = 7.9
| Dec precipitation days = 9.5
| year precipitation days = 108.3
| Jan humidity = 78.8
| Feb humidity = 76.5
| Mar humidity = 76.3
| Apr humidity = 76.1
| May humidity = 77.3
| Jun humidity = 78.2
| Jul humidity = 80.1
| Aug humidity = 79.8
| Sep humidity = 79.4
| Oct humidity = 75.9
| Nov humidity = 77.3
| Dec humidity = 79.0
| year humidity = 77.9
| source 1 = [[NOAA]] (relative humidity 1961–1990)<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=lch
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = August 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00003937&format=pdf
| title = Station: lake Charles, LA
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = August 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NOAAhumidity>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72240.TXT
| title = WMO Climate Normals for Lake Charles/WSO AP, LA 1961–1990
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = August 27, 2021}}</ref>
| source = 
}}

=== Hurricanes ===
[[Hurricane Laura]] devastated the city in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rojas |first=Rick |date=2020-10-20 |title=After 2 Hurricanes, Lake Charles Fears Its Cries for Help Have Gone Unheard |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/us/lake-charles-hurricane-laura-delta.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[National Weather Service]] called the storm surge "unsurvivable" with one-minute sustained wind speeds of 150&nbsp;mph (240&nbsp;km/h). The [[Lake Charles Regional Airport]] had a gust of 133 miles per hour (214&nbsp;km/h), and several [[hangar]]s were destroyed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bertorelli |first=Paul |date=2020-08-28 |title=Hurricane Laura Damages Lake Charles Airport, Destroys Radar |url=https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/hurricane-laura-damages-lake-charles-airport-destroys-radar/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=AVweb |language=en-US}}</ref> Another gust in the city reached 137&nbsp;mph (220&nbsp;km/h). Many windows were blown out of [[Capital One Tower (Louisiana)|Capital One Tower]] downtown. A communications tower collapsed onto the [[KPLC]] studio building (which had been evacuated), and part of a sky bridge was blown out. The radar at the NWS Lake Charles forecast office (whose staff evacuated, with the office's operations transferred to the [[Brownsville, Texas]], office) was destroyed around the time of landfall, with its dome and much of its internal equipment sheared from the radar tower's base. A few weeks later, [[Hurricane Delta]] also hit Lake Charles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spradling |first=Travis |title=Aerial photos: See Hurricane Delta path of destruction in southwest Louisiana, weeks after Laura |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/multimedia/photos/collection_94453d32-0b19-11eb-83f0-d312054ff57f.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=The Advocate |date=October 10, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>