Tropical system in Gulf expected to bring heavy rain to New Orleans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The yellow shaded area shows where a tropical system could form. Image: National Hurricane Center
A tropical disturbance in the Gulf could bring up to 10 inches of rain to New Orleans this week, the National Weather Service says.
Why it matters: Now is the time to clean storm drains and prepare for street flooding.
The big picture: The National Hurricane Center is tracking a low pressure system that's expected to move into the Gulf late Tuesday.
- Gradual development is possible, NHC says. It will be named Dexter if it strengthens into a tropical storm.
- See the latest forecast.
The latest: Flash flooding is possible on the Gulf Coast regardless of further development, says Megan Williams, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Slidell.
- The rain could start Wednesday and go through Sunday night in southeast Louisiana, NWS says.
- The storms may be capable of producing more than 3 inches of rain per hour.
- It's too early to pinpoint where the heaviest rain will fall, she says. About 2 to 4 inches of rain are likely, but up to 10 inches could fall.
Zoom in: New Orleans' drainage pumps can handle 1 inch of rain the first hour and 0.5 inch per hour after that when the system is working at full capacity.
- Jefferson Parish's system has a similar pumping capacity.
- When rain falls too quickly, it overwhelms the pumps, causing street flooding.
By the numbers: The Sewerage & Water Board says 86 of 93 major pumps (map) are working as of Monday afternoon. Two of its power turbines are down and available only for emergency use.
- All the underpass pumps are working, SWBNO says, with the exception of one of the three that drain the Carrolton Avenue/I-10 underpass.
Until then, New Orleans is expected to have dangerous heat conditions.
- Heat advisories are in effect Monday and Tuesday, with a heat index of 110 expected.
- Wednesday also may be steamy, depending on when the rain starts. The current forecast has a "feels like" temp of 109.
- So far, five people have died in Louisiana of heat-related causes, according to the state health department. Last year, 51 people died.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details.