Residents in parts of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi are advised to remain vigilant, as the National Weather Service in New Orleans has maintained a flood watch through tomorrow evening. The flood watch, which covers a broad swath of the area, including metropolitan centers and extensive rural regions, is due to the continued possibility of excessive rainfall, according to the NWS bulletin. The affected parishes and areas are bracing for further bouts of heavy rain that have already saturated the ground.
During this time, locals should be prepared to respond quickly to rising waters. The flood watch alert emphasized that excessive runoff may lead to flooding in rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone areas. The NWS has also warned that urban areas may experience significant flooding, particularly where poor drainage systems can quickly become overwhelmed. Already, regions near and north of Interstate 10 have received over three inches of rain, with forecasts predicting additional totals of 1 to 3 inches, with potentially higher amounts in some locations.
The NWS has issued a detailed forecast, highlighting particularly concerning periods of weather. Today alone, showers and a potential thunderstorm are expected before 4 pm, with new rainfall between 1 and 2 inches possible, while tonight has a 60% chance of continued precipitation. This pattern seems set to linger with various probabilities of showers and thunderstorms forecasted right through the coming days, including a 90% chance tomorrow and 70% on Friday.
If that wasn’t enough, the weekend into early next week doesn’t offer much reprieve. There’s a chance of showers and thunderstorms almost every day, potentially worsening the already precarious flood situation. People living in flood-prone areas should be prepared to take action if flooding develops, the NWS warned. To stay safe, monitor later forecasts and stay alert to changing conditions, especially if the NWS escalates the watch to flood warnings.
