NEW ORLEANS – The Gulf Coast along the Interstate 10 corridor is bracing for days of heavy rain and flash flooding as a stationary front and coastal low bring widespread storms to the region.
The FOX Forecast Center said the area of low pressure and front will keep the greatest focus for repeated rounds of storms moving onshore along the central Gulf Coast and upper Texas Gulf Coast on Thursday, potentially spreading a bit farther northward into northern Louisiana and Mississippi.
Very moist Gulf air continues to contribute to very heavy downpours with these storms, approaching 2-3 inches per hour in some cases, enhancing the threat of high rainfall totals and flash flooding.
Prior days’ rainfall has led to very wet soils and brought a locally higher threat of numerous instances of flash flooding, especially for the urban areas around greater New Orleans, the FOX Forecast Center said.
On Wednesday, flooding was reported from Jacksonville, Florida, along the I-10 corridor through the parishes of southern Louisiana and into southeastern Texas. More than 5 million people, including the New Orleans metro, were under Flood Watches.
The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center highlighted communities stretching from south of Houston through southern Mississippi for the threat of additional flooding on Thursday. A Level 3 out of 4 risk of flash flooding is centered over southeastern Louisiana, including the New Orleans metro area.
The storms will slowly expand east on Friday with heavy rain spreading into northern Florida and southern Georgia.
Forecast models show an additional 5 to as much as 11 inches of rain that could fall through the start of next week as the conveyor belt for waves of moisture pile up in cities such as New Orleans. An influx of tropical moisture from as far away as the Caribbean has added insult to injury.
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This year, New Orleans has been under 11 Flash Flood Warnings just between June and August.
At New Orleans International Airport, which technically is the official site for recordkeeping, 57.04 inches of rain has fallen so far this year, a respectable 8-plus inches above average. Meanwhile, just 10 miles to the east, downtown New Orleans has seen over 8 inches more rain than at the airport – more than 65 inches.
Frequent flooding imposes a financial burden on residents and business owners, who must prepare for flooding during nearly every storm.
This system is the same area that the National Hurricane Center was previously watching for development along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. However, with the low-pressure system expected to move onshore, any risk of tropical development has diminished.
Original article source: Gulf Coast I-10 corridor in bull’s-eye for flooding downpours as stalled front lingers over southern US
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Publish date : 2024-09-05 00:26:00
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