Gulf Coast Disturbance (early August)

[CrazyC83]

One way to look at it: most places in the Acadiana region and north/west of New Orleans have had 15 to 30 inches of rain (one spot had nearly 32 inches). During Katrina, the highest rainfall total on the Gulf coast was about 14 inches.

It's true inland flooding was not a significant issue with Katrina (it was mostly a surge and wind event) but that shows that a weak system can drop far more rain than the most infamous hurricane in the region's history.

[tolakram]

This is just horrible, I hope everyone stays safe and stays positive as the recovery starts.

[floridasun78]

i see alot business are lost i hope gov help owner and worker of all business their need pay bills and food for their family

[abajan]

One way to look at it: most places in the Acadiana region and north/west of New Orleans have had 15 to 30 inches of rain (one spot had nearly 32 inches). During Katrina, the highest rainfall total on the Gulf coast was about 14 inches.

It's true inland flooding was not a significant issue with Katrina (it was mostly a surge and wind event) but that shows that a weak system can drop far more rain than the most infamous hurricane in the region's history.

Yep. One of the worst floods to affect Barbados was in 1970, and that was from a tropical depression.

[PTrackerLA]

CM, I'm so so sorry for your losses! We thankfully did not flood but I know so many others that have. I just got back in town yesterday afternoon and the water levels are just unreal...obviously nothing I've seen in my lifetime. 21.27" officially at the airport but reports on my side of town range from 23"-27". Over 20,000 water rescues in the state so far. This will be the worst disaster for LA since Katrina I'm afraid. Prayers for all today .

[Steve]

There is still only limited information on homes and businesses damaged by flooding, but it's starting to trickle out. I was apparently way under. Early information on Livingston Parish, which is west of Hammond (Tangipahoa Parish) and east of Baton Rouge is that 60-70% of homes have flood damage. Per the article below, 2010 census had 50,170 units. And I'm guessing some of those are apartments. But that's an easy 25,000 homes in not the most populated parish that was affected. So maybe as many as 100,000 homes may have flooded, but I'd hedge it around 60,000 to stay conservative.

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/ ... ft_amplify

[CrazyC83]

There is still only limited information on homes and businesses damaged by flooding, but it's starting to trickle out. I was apparently way under. Early information on Livingston Parish, which is west of Hammond (Tangipahoa Parish) and east of Baton Rouge is that 60-70% of homes have flood damage. Per the article below, 2010 census had 50,170 units. And I'm guessing some of those are apartments. But that's an easy 25,000 homes in not the most populated parish that was affected. So maybe as many as 100,000 homes may have flooded, but I'd hedge it around 60,000 to stay conservative.

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/ ... ft_amplify

The cost of this disaster could easily be up to $10 billion, or even higher.

[stormwise]

One way to look at it: most places in the Acadiana region and north/west of New Orleans have had 15 to 30 inches of rain (one spot had nearly 32 inches). During Katrina, the highest rainfall total on the Gulf coast was about 14 inches.

It's true inland flooding was not a significant issue with Katrina (it was mostly a surge and wind event) but that shows that a weak system can drop far more rain than the most infamous hurricane in the region's history.

Indeed slow moving weak tropical lows that hang about over land can cause worse flooding over a very large area than a fast moving organised systems, see it a'lot in other basins the low acts as a aqueduct.

[BigB0882]

We made it out OK. Too many of my friends and family were not so lucky. We live right in front of a Bayou and somehow it did not flood our neighborhood. Neighborhoods on both sides of us flooded. Tomorrow we are going to help a friend save whatever she can from her house, it had 4-5 feet of water in it. After that will be my Uncle but the water had not receded as of today. Also have another close friend whose house flooded.

[HurricaneRyan]

Had this become a TC in the gulf before producing all this, and become Fiona, this probably would have been the third tropical storm to be retired and the second one from the US after Allison if this all happened with a named system.

[Kazmit]

I wonder if this will be upgraded to a TD in post-analysis. Regardless, I hope everyone stays safe; this disaster was a lot worse than I thought it would be. Just proves how you don't need a Cat 5 to cause destruction and death.

[CYCLONE MIKE]

How much national attention is this getting? Be hearing reports that it's getting a brief mention here and there at various times but not many people know how bad it got in BR and Livingston and still is over here in Ascension.

[PTrackerLA]

The precip distribution, intensity, longevity, movement etc all were just like an inland tropical system. I've never seen anything like the radar images I was seeing it was absolutely relentless. Would love to see a full multi-day radar loop of this system pop up somewhere.

[LSU2001]

Here you go Ptracker. Ask and you shall receive, lol
Tim

https://mobile.twitter.com/StuOstro/sta ... 72/video/1

[Steve]

How much national attention is this getting? Be hearing reports that it's getting a brief mention here and there at various times but not many people know how bad it got in BR and Livingston and still is over here in Ascension.

TWC basically preempted their programming this weekend for the flooding. All the major news outlets had lead stories all weekend and into yesterday (CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS). Local news is 10 minutes of flooding before anything else. I'd say it got more than sufficient coverage from Saturday to Monday for an unnamed system. I started getting texts in from South Florida and the Panhandle checking on me by Sunday as people started noticing.

[LSU2001]

Hey Ptracker,
here is another view of the Rain bomb from early august. Pretty telling that you don't need a named system or even a depression to cause major damage to an area.
tim
http://www.esl.lsu.edu/static/animations/best_of_esl/atmospheric_animations/Rain_Event_0816.mp4