Updated

Updated · WDSU New Orleans · Sep 1

St. John the Baptist Parish Enters Flood Advisory After 2 Inches of Rain as Edouard Makes Landfall

Updated

Updated · WDSU New Orleans · Sep 1

St. John the Baptist Parish Enters Flood Advisory After 2 Inches of Rain as Edouard Makes Landfall

Q: With Edouard aiming for Texas, why are New Orleans forecasters more concerned about Friday's seemingly ordinary rainstorm?

New Orleans forecasters are more concerned about Friday because Edouard is expected to stay small and make landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border, leaving metro New Orleans with only outer-band showers, while a separate tropical wave later this week is more likely to focus heavier rain directly over southeast Louisiana. The local forecast shows Edouard bringing mainly fringe effects Tuesday: scattered showers, a few heavy downpours, and isolated flooding, but no tropical watches or warnings for the New Orleans metro. Its strongest impacts — heavier rain, surge and wind — are expected much farther west in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. Edouard is also forecast to weaken quickly after landfall. By contrast, the late-Thursday-to-Friday system raises concern because even a “routine” 1 to 2 inches of rain can become more dangerous when the ground and drainage system have already been stressed by earlier rainfall. St. John the Baptist Parish had already seen more than 2 inches Tuesday, prompting a flood advisory, and forecasters have warned that repeated rounds of storms could lead to localized flash flooding if heavier cells train over the same areas. That is why forecasters are emphasizing Friday’s flooding setup rather than Edouard itself for New Orleans: the city is expected to miss the storm’s compact core, but it may be more vulnerable later in the week if another moisture-rich disturbance delivers steadier rain over saturated, low-lying urban areas.

3 articles · Updated · WDSU New Orleans · Sep 1

St. John the Baptist Parish remained under a flood advisory until 4:15 p.m. after more than 2 inches of rain fell Tuesday.
Tropical Storm Edouard's landfall was expected to bring only fringe effects to the New Orleans area, with scattered showers and isolated heavy downpours rather than a broadly active afternoon.
Some spots could still pick up another inch of rain Tuesday, and showers and thunderstorms are forecast again Wednesday.
Late Thursday into Friday, a nearby tropical wave is expected to sharply raise rain chances, with 1 to 2 inches possible in some cities and localized flooding a risk.
Rain chances should ease back toward normal over the weekend, while highs stay in the low 90s before mid-90s heat may return next week.