New Orleans and other areas in southeast Louisiana are preparing for heavy rainfall this week as a tropical disturbance moves through the Gulf of Mexico toward the Louisiana coast.
The National Hurricane Center said a broad area of low pressure was forecast to move westward over the northern part of the Gulf Wednesday night and could reach the Louisiana coast by Thursday.
If the system moves far enough offshore, conditions could become favorable for further development, and a tropical depression may form in the next couple of days before the system moves fully inland.
If the system were to strengthen into a tropical storm, it would be named Dexter. However, LSU public health climatologist Barry Keim says it’s unlikely to develop into something significant.
“It’s going to be a minor nuisance. Street flooding could possibly be the biggest issue with this storm. That’s something we’ll clearly have to watch,” Keim told Louisiana Radio Network.
How much rain is in the forecast?
Forecast models show that up to 10 inches of rain could fall in some areas between Wednesday and Saturday, particularly along the coast. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected north of the I-10/12 corridor, and 3 to 5 inches are expected to the south, according to the National Weather Service.
A flood watch will be in effect for much of southeast Louisiana and south Mississippi from 1 p.m. Wednesday through early Saturday.
According to WDSU, heavy rain could arrive as early as Wednesday evening, with the most intense storms expected Thursday and Friday. Much of the area will be under a level 1 (marginal) flood risk on Wednesday. The South Shore faces a slight risk of flooding Thursday. By Friday, New Orleans will be under a level 2 risk, with a level 3 (moderate) risk just to our west.
Utilities prepare for weather
Entergy said it’s closely monitoring the disturbance and is ready to respond to any outages with crews, materials and other resources in place.
“As we begin to put our plans into place, we are urging our customers to take the potential of severe weather seriously and stay prepared,” said Shelton Hudson, vice president of reliability for Entergy in Louisiana. “Now is not the time to let your guard down – please take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of your family and your home.”
The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) will lower canal levels to increase stormwater storage and has increased staffing to improve storm response. With 86 of 93 pumps operational, the drainage system is prepared for heavy rainfall, though intense storms exceeding capacity may still cause street flooding.
Residents can monitor real-time pumping and power status on SWBNO’s online dashboard.
Sandbag sites
A number of parishes have opened sandbag distribution sites ahead of the weather. The ones in New Orleans were only open until 1 p.m. Wednesday. Here's a parish-by-parish list of sandbag locations.
