NEW ORLEANS – Torrential rains are drenching the Gulf Coast, providing much-needed relief to an area suffering from drought. However, the heavy rainfall in New Orleans has been too much of a good thing.
Flash Flood Warnings were in effect through mid-Saturday morning in the Big Easy as a band of heavy rain parked over the city.
New Orleans reported nearly 4 inches of rain overnight, with steady rains lingering into sunrise. The NWS said an additional 2 to 3 inches is still expected in southeastern Louisiana on Saturday and warned flash flooding is either already occurring or expected to begin shortly.
These heavy rains are also heading towards the Gulf Coast and into the Florida Panhandle, keeping a flash flooding threat ongoing through the weekend.
EXPLAINING FLOOD ALERTS ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
This storm won’t significantly threaten severe weather on a widespread scale in the southern states, according to the FOX Forecast Center. However, areas along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle may experience an isolated strong or severe storm later in the day.
“We should see things start to slow down through the overnight with steadier rain pushing through, losing a lot of that daytime energy for the thunderstorms,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Kiyana Lewis said. “And as we continue into Sunday, we’ll start off the day with some rain as well.”
HOW HEAVY IS IT REALLY GOING TO RAIN?
Forecasters with NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) have issued a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms over far southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Wind gusts to 60 mph, and some quarter-sized hail would be the primary concerns. It’s not out of the possibility that a waterspout or tornado spins up, too.
“That shading of red (below) is what we’ll watch very closely for these storms as they continue to stream onshore out of the Gulf of Mexico through the morning and into the afternoon,” Lewis added.
THE 5-POINT SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK CATEGORY SCALE EXPLAINED
A storm survey conducted by NWS on Friday found that a weak EF-0 tornado with estimated winds of 65 mph touched down just south of Jacobs Road in Poplarville, Mississippi. The tornado was on the ground for a brief period of 1 minute, tracking north for a distance of 0.3 miles.
The tornado caused damage by knocking down a few trees and snapping off many branches in its path. The storm was powerful enough to destroy a carport, flip an RV and roll a truck.
With rounds of rain in the next 72 hours, the threat of flash flooding will also increase, the FOX Forecast Center said. This threat will be maximized right along the Gulf Coast, where the heaviest rain will continue rolling in off the water.
Over the weekend, as much as 2 to 3 inches of rain is forecast to fall from Louisiana to Georgia. Some places could see more than 3 inches of rain by the time the cold front finally sweeps through, clearing things out early next week.