Axios New Orleans

June 16, 2026
Good morning, y'all! It's Tuesday.
Today's weather: Stormy. High of 85. More on that below.
π Happy birthday to our Axios New Orleans member Joe Rappeport!
π§ Sounds like: "Rainy Day Blues" by Tab Benoit.
Today's newsletter is 890 words β a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: π Gulf storm possible
A tropical storm could form in the Gulf this week, marking the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Why it matters: The system could bring up to 10 inches of rain to Southeast Louisiana, regardless of further development, the National Weather Service warns.
The big picture: The low-pressure system could develop into a "short-lived" tropical storm Wednesday into Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said yesterday.
- If so, it will be named Arthur.
- Residents here should prepare for periods of intense rain over the next several days, says Mike Buchanan, the meteorologist in charge of the NWS office in Slidell.
- Flash flooding is likely.
- Tropical storm watches or warnings could be required today in Texas and southwest Louisiana, NHC says.
What he's saying: "It's not going to blast on through" New Orleans, Buchanan tells us.
- There's a "very moist" air mass that's stalled over the region, so residents should expect a very wet and stormy week, he says.
Threat level: South Louisiana is under a flood watch through 7am Friday.
- Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches are expected through Friday morning, with "considerably higher" amounts in isolated areas, NWS says.
- Rainfall rates could exceed 3 to 4 inches per hour.
- Pumps in Orleans and Jefferson parishes generally can handle 1 inch of rain in the first hour and then a half-inch per hour after that.
2. π€― A termite spectacle
The massive termite fumigation tent at the former St. Elizabeth's Orphanage is turning heads Uptown.
Why it matters: It takes a lot of tarps to cover an entire city block.
The big picture: New Orleans photographer Paul Morse posted drone photos that show the complex wrapped in red, white and bluish-black stripes.
- We reached out to several pest control companies about the job, but so far, no one has claimed it.
Flashback: The orphanage on Napoleon Avenue was converted into condos in the early 2000s, according to a real estate listing.
- Before that, vampire novelist Anne Rice owned the massive Uptown property and became closely associated with the landmark.
- See photos of the chapel, which was turned into a 5,000-square-foot condo.
The bottom line: In a city where termites are a fact of life, even landmarks aren't immune.
3. π³οΈ Early voting begins
Louisiana heads to the polls this week for early voting in the state's new closed-party primary system.
Why it matters: These runoffs will determine who will be the Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, Public Service Commission and other state and local offices.
The big picture: Early voting ends Saturday. Under the new system, you need to be a registered Republican or Democrat to vote in the primaries.
- If you are a "no party" voter and you cast a ballot in last month's primary, you must stick with the same party for the runoff.
- If you didn't vote in the primary, you can fill out a declaration at the poll and pick a party.
- Election Day is June 27. The winners will face off in November in the general election.
The Republicans: Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his reelection bid in the primary.
- The race is down to Rep. Julia Letlow, whom President Trump endorsed, and state Treasurer John Fleming.
- Letlow got 45% of the primary vote, while Fleming got 28%, according to results from the secretary of state.
- Republicans also have runoffs for the Public Service Commission and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The Democrats: Jamie Davis and Gary Crockett are facing off to be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
- Davis got 47% of the primary vote last month, while Crockett got 26%.
Zoom out: Louisiana rescheduled its U.S. House elections after Gov. Jeff Landry paused the previous cycle to redraw the state's congressional map.
- The candidates will meet in a jungle primary Nov. 3, the same day as the state's general election.
What's next: Check your sample ballot.
4. Fully Dressed: π’ Development hits snag
π’ The Six Flags redevelopment project has had another setback. This time, it's a lease dispute between the public agency that owns the site and the Bayou Phoenix developers. (The Times-Picayune π)
- ICYMI: The developers say they need at least $50 million in public money to transform the blighted property into a regional destination for youth sports, entertainment and shopping. (Axios)
π° Some Richland Parish teachers are getting bonuses of more than $50,000 due to increased tax revenue from Meta's data center construction. (Wall Street Journal gift link)
β½οΈ Jameis Winston, our former QB who now is with the NY Giants, helped Japanese fans clean the stadium after their World Cup match. (Facebook and ESPN)
π FEMA has "sufficient resources" to respond to emergencies this hurricane season, the group's interim director said during a visit last week to New Orleans. (Fox 8)
πΊπΈ Jefferson Parish put on quite a drone show for its America 250 celebration. The pelican was fun. (Video)
πΊ WWL anchor Brheanna Boudreaux is leaving New Orleans for a job in Houston. (Instagram)
π Chick-fil-A is now open in Gretna. (Instagram)
π Carlie scored some deeply discounted rugby bobbleheads from NOLA Gold.
π£ Chelsea is on parental leave.
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Thanks to our editor Jen Burkett.
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