weather

Morning rains bring 8 inches of water, city says; many neighborhoods report flooding

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Heavy rainfall Wednesday morning brought as much as eight inches of rain to the streets in three hours, city officials said, out pacing the city’s drainage system and causing flooding across many Uptown neighborhoods from Carrollton to the Lower Garden District. Tornado and flash-flood warnings were issued throughout the morning, until the rain began clearing closer to noon. Residents shared social-media photos of kayakers on Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District and Irish Channel, as well as on Freret Street, while many side streets along Carrollton Avenue were covered in water too deep to drive through safely. “Residents are asked to stay off of the roads until water recedes,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office said in a news release. “As of 11 a.m., standing water remained on many roads throughout the city and the National Weather Service extended a Flash Flood Warning through 1:45 p.m.”

weather

Rainy weekend ahead as Gulf storm organizes, forecasters say

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Heavy rain is expected in New Orleans this weekend as showers over the Florida Panhandle are moving into the Gulf of Mexico and developing into stronger storm system, the National Hurricane Center warned Tuesday morning. The storm system is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico today (July 9), and could become a tropical depression Wednesday or Thursday while continuing to move west, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory at 6 a.m. Tuesday. “Once the system is over water, environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for tropical cyclone formation,” the advisory reads. “Regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone forms, this system has the potential to produce heavy rainfall along portions of the northern and eastern U.S. Gulf Coast later this week.” The city of New Orleans encouraged residents to be prepared for heavy rain, though the amounts will be difficult to predict until the storm organizes further.

city government

City suspends parking restrictions as heavy rain moves into the area

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From the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Residents are encouraged to prepare for heavy rainfall and potential flooding through Friday, June 7. Numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected across the New Orleans region through Friday, some of which could cause heavy rainfall leading to ponding of water in low-lying areas and areas of poor drainage. Rainfall totals between 2 to 6 inches are expected across the area with locally higher amounts possible through Saturday afternoon. The greatest threat of flooding in the metro area is currently forecast to be on Thursday, June 6, with a “Slight” to “Moderate” risk of excessive rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. A Flash Flood Watch will be in effect in New Orleans tonight through Thursday evening.

public safety

Gordon makes landfall on Mississippi Gulf Coast; weakens to tropical depression

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Tropical Storm Gordon made landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast just west of the Alabama border on Tuesday night, sparing New Orleans the brunt of its 70-mph winds and flooding rain, and rapidly weakened to a tropical depression over land Wednesday morning. Gordon came ashore with 70-mph winds — just 4 mph short of being classified a Category 1 hurricane –around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4 just east of Pascagoula, Miss., according to the National Hurricane Center. By 7 a.m., the storm was outside of Jackson, Miss., and was downgraded to a tropical depression with winds of about 35 mph. Gordon’s rainfall could pose a significant flooding threat as it continues to move inland, the National Hurricane Center said in its final update on the storm at 10 a.m.

“Even though Gordon is weakening, heavy rainfall will continue to affect the western Florida Panhandle, southwest Alabama, central Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, southern Iowa and Illinois, with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches possible,” the forecasters wrote.

public safety

Orleans schools remain closed on Wednesday amid worries of power outages, street flooding from Gordon’s approach

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All Orleans Parish schools will remain closed on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Gordon proceeds toward an expected hurricane-strength landfall overnight, officials said Tuesday afternoon. For details, see the announcement from Orleans Parish School Board released Tuesday afternoon:

Due to continuing storm threats and resulting complications from Tropical Storm Gordon, the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) has announced that all public schools in Orleans Parish will remain closed on Wednesday, September 5, 2018. The district previously announced closures for Tuesday, Sept. 4. Students and families are urged to adhere to city-wide recommendations concerning the storm.

public safety

Tropical Storm Gordon expected to strengthen to Category 1 hurricane before landfall

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Tropical Storm Gordon is expected to continue to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane today as it marches across the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall this evening, likely on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, Gordon’s maximum sustained winds were 65 mph, and expected to strengthen to 75 mph by 7 p.m., classifying it as a Category 1 hurricane. Landfall is expected Tuesday evening in the Northern Gulf Coast between New Orleans East and Mobile, and forecasters are warning of 2-to-4 feet of storm surge at the mouth of the Mississippi River. “A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Orleans Parish, with the potential for winds of 60 to 70 miles per hour (mph), mainly in gusts as rain bands move through the area,” according to an update from the city of New Orleans. “High winds can cause damage to unsecured property, snap or uproot trees, blow debris onto roads, and cause power and communications outages.”

weather

Subtropical storm Alberto forms; Gulf Coast landfall expected early next week

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An area of storms near the Yucatan Peninsula has formed into Subtropical Storm Alberto with winds of 40 mph, and forecasters expect it to bring more rain to the New Orleans area when it makes a Gulf Coast landfall early next week. The storm is expected to strengthen to perhaps as high as 75-mph winds by early Monday, when it makes landfall somewhere between New Orleans and Pensacola, according to the National Hurricane Center on Friday morning. “Over the Memorial Day Weekend through early next week, the weather pattern will favor the potential for heavy rainfall and possible flooding due to Sub-Tropical Storm Alberto,” according to a hazardous weather warning from the National Weather Service New Orleans office. “The threat of heavy rain and higher than normal tides has increased for this weekend.”

city government

Mayor Cantrell: “We will never pump our way out of this”

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Days after a sudden Friday afternoon storm flooded parts of Mid-City yet again, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced her plans Tuesday morning to push infrastructure and drainage projects forward. Cantrell promised to prioritize an urban water plan, that includes rainwater cisterns underneath Uptown parks, while working to free up funding for water mitigation and drainage projects held up in design processes. Read the full article by Claire Byun at MidCityMessenger.com.

events

Saturday parades to roll early because of rain threat

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Parades to roll earlier due to rain threat. Pontchartrain at 12:30, then Choctaw, Freret, Sparta & Pygmalion. Map: https://t.co/tOR0xeyzaO— NOLA Ready (@nolaready) February 3, 2018

Saturday’s day parades will start rolling at 12:30 p.m. — a half hour earlier than scheduled — and the evening parades will immediately follow because of the threat of rain this evening, New Orleans officials said. The Krewe of Pontchartrain will begin at 12:30 p.m., followed by the krewes of Choctaw and Freret, city officials announced. The night parades, Sparta and Pygmalion, will immediately follow as well.

city government

Mayor: Water pressure has risen enough to begin testing quality, but boil-water notice remains in place

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The water pressure in New Orleans rose enough overnight that officials are able to begin testing it for contamination, but residents should continue to boil water and drink bottled water until that testing process is complete, Mayor Mitch Landrieu said late Friday morning. The boil water notice became necessary during this week’s freeze after water pressure fell to the point that officials could no longer guarantee against contamination leaking into the system. On Thursday, officials asked residents to refrain from using any water where at all possible, to allow the water pressure to begin rising again. With warmer temperatures, residents no longer had to drip their faucets overnight to prevent the pipes from freezing, and owners of many properties with broken pipes were able either to shut off their water or get the leaks repaired — all of which reduced strain on the system. By Friday morning, system-wide pressure had risen to the point that officials could begin water-quality tests, Landrieu said, though they will take 24 hours to complete before the boil-water notice can be lifted.