New Orleans is cutting drivers a rare break on parking as rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms threaten to turn low-lying streets into shallow canals. City officials have temporarily relaxed the rules so people can park on the neutral ground through the Tuesday morning rush, hoping to keep the usual flood-prone blocks clear if water starts to rise.
According to WDSU, neutral-ground parking is allowed until 9 a.m. Tuesday. NOLAReady has reminded residents that the extra leeway is not a free-for-all: drivers are still asked not to block intersections, streetcar tracks, sidewalks or bike lanes. WDSU has also labeled Monday a First Warning Weather Impact Day because of the potential for strong storms and flooding.
How the neutral-ground rule works
As outlined by NOLA Ready, the city can temporarily lift normal parking restrictions so drivers can move vehicles to higher ground when street flooding is a risk. The guidance stresses that cars should never block streetcar tracks or intersections and notes that these temporary rules usually end about two hours after floodwaters recede.
Timing and the forecast
WDSU expects showers and storms to build over the Northshore in the early afternoon, then spread across the bayou parishes and the New Orleans metro area by late afternoon. The heaviest rain, along with the greatest risk for flash flooding and damaging winds, is forecast between roughly 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Forecasters say 1 to 2 inches of rain is possible, with locally higher totals, and that storms should wind down shortly after midnight, leaving the Tuesday morning commute mostly dry.
The National Weather Service's New Orleans/Baton Rouge office is calling for scattered strong to severe storms and an isolated flash-flood threat across parts of southeast Louisiana. Residents are urged to keep an eye on watches and warnings at NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge.
Safety tips for drivers
Officials are urging residents to get cars off low-lying streets and onto higher ground and to avoid driving through standing water, advice that NOLA Ready repeats in its flood guidance. Street flooding can be reported through the city's online portal at Streetwise, and residents are encouraged to follow local alerts until the severe weather threat is over.
