Heavy Rains and Flooding in South Louisiana

[PTrackerLA]

Last night and this morning training storms across Louisiana brought anywhere from 2-10" of rain in some places. Check out the storm total map:


There has also been a flood statement issued and a flood warning for the river here in Lafayette.

FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1004 AM CDT WED MAY 12 2004

...HIGH WATER CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM OVER LAFAYETTE AND UPPER ST.
MARTIN PARISHES...

HEAVY RAINS OVERNIGHT INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS CONTINUES TO
PRODUCE SOME RUNOFF WHICH HAS HELPED TO KEEP WATERS HIGH OVER MANY ROADS
AND SOME HIGHWAYS.

FLOOD WATERS SHOULD RECEDE BY EARLY AFTERNOON. RAINS WILL LIKELY
RETURN LATER THIS AFTERNOON WHICH MAY AGGRAVATE THE FLOODING
ALREADY.

MOTORIST ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING WATER COVERED ROADS
AND REDUCE SPEED. MOTORIST SHOULD AVOID WATER COVERED ROADS OF
UNKNOWN DEPTH. STAY AWAY FROM DRAINAGE DITCHES...BAYOUS AND CREEKS.
THEY ARE PRONE TO RAPID RISES AND MAY FLOOD THE AREA QUICKLY.

At my house I picked up a little over 3" of rain but it gets much worse as you head north. The rain continues to develop this afternoon also.

[bfez1]

Flood warning in effect for parts of Covington

01:42 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 12, 2004




A flood warning is in effect for the Tchefuncte river at U.S. highway 190 near Covington.


On the Tchefuncte river above U.S. Hwy. 190 near Covington. The latest stage was 9.9 feet at 12 p.m. Wednesday. Flood stage is 20 feet.


The river is expected to crest near 23 feet around 3 a.m. Thursday May 13.


At 22 feet Tchefuncte camp grounds will be under a few inches of water. The Goodbee community is threatened with flooding. Water will invade camp Tchefuncte's parking lot. Vehicles must be removed to higher ground.


Forecast crests are based upon rainfall that has occurred along with anticipated rain for the next 12 hours. Adjustments to the forecasts will be made if additional heavy rainfall occurs.

[PTrackerLA]

This is not good. The focus line of the thunderstorms is shifting south into the heart of Lafayette. Over 10" of rain has fallen just north of here and with the river already in flood it could get ugly.

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
443 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA
LAFAYETTE PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA

* UNTIL 730 PM CDT

* AT 440 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
LEONVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
WASHINGTON...SUNSET...SCOTT...PORT BARRE...PALMETTO...OPELOUSAS...
GRAND COTEAU AND CARENCRO.

HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS AND LOW LYING AREAS RAPIDLY...SO DO NOT DRIVE
YOUR VEHICLE WHERE WATERS OF AN UNKNOWN DEPTH COVERS THE ROAD.

DURING HEAVY RAINS...STAY AWAY FROM DRAINAGE DITCHES...BAYOUS AND
CREEKS. THEY ARE PRONE TO RAPID RISES AND MAY FLOOD THE AREA QUICKLY.

CALL 337-477-5285 TO REPORT FLOODING TO THE WEATHER SERVICE.

[PTrackerLA]

And the training continues, up to 4.5" of rain just today at my house. The storms continue to backbuild right over Lafayette Parish.

[Lindaloo]

Yes they are backbuilding which is not good news. Those storms are just not going anywhere anytime soon. I would like some rain out of them though. Sure could use it here on the MS Coast.

[PTrackerLA]

I'm sending it your way Lindaloo. Since April 23, we've had over 14" of rain and it's still coming down. Chances of rain are high through the weekend as well. One thing for sure, no drought this year in south Louisiana!

[breeze]

PTrackerLA, it rained in Lafayette the whole
first weekend of May! I know why ya'll have all
of those swamps, now!

[PTrackerLA]

Yep when you get rain like this on pretty much pancake flat land it either goes into the swamps or the bayou! Speaking of, the Vermilion River here in Lafayette is in flood and it continues to rise as the rain continues to fall.

FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
630 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2004

LAC055-113-130400-
RIVER FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE VERMILION RIVER, INCLUDING
LAFAYETTE, SURREY STREET GAGE

FOR THE VERMILION RIVER AT LAFAYETTE, SURREY STREET GAGE, THE LATEST
STAGE WAS 11.9 FEET AT 6 PM WEDNESDAY. FLOOD STAGE IS 10.0 FEET. THE
RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO RISE TO AROUND 13.0 FEET LATER THIS
EVENING. AT STAGES OVER 11.5 FEET, FLOODING OF BEAVER PARK AND
VERMILIONVILLE NEAR THE RIVER WILL OCCUR.

$$

DO NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED AREAS OR ATTEMPT TO CROSS ROADWAYS COVERED
BY HIGH WATER. YOU MAY CHECK THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST
RIVER AND WEATHER INFORMATION, http://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LCH.

[PTrackerLA]

FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
725 PM CDT WED MAY 12 2004

LAC055-113-130100-
RIVER FLOOD WARNING ISSUED FOR THE VERMILION RIVER, AT LAFAYETTE,
SURREY STREET GAGE

FOR THE VERMILION RIVER AT LAFAYETTE, SURREY STREET GAGE, THE LATEST
STAGE WAS 12.9 FEET AT 7 PM WEDNESDAY. FLOOD STAGE IS 10.0 FEET. THE
RIVER IS NOW EXPECTED TO REACH MODERATE FLOOD CATEGORY WITH A CREST
OF 14.7 FEET AROUND MIDNIGHT. AT STAGES NEAR 13.5 FEET, FLOODING OF
SOME YARDS OF HOMES NEAR THE RIVER AND MAJOR FLOODING OF BEAVER PARK
AND VERMILIONVILLE NEAR THE RIVER WILL OCCUR. AT STAGE NEAR 14.0
FEET, FLOODING IN LAFAYETTE, MAINLY IN THE VICINITY OF COULEE AND
BAYOU JUNCTIONS WITH THE VERMILION RIVER.

$$

DO NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED AREAS OR ATTEMPT TO CROSS ROADWAYS COVERED
BY HIGH WATER. YOU MAY CHECK THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST
RIVER AND WEATHER INFORMATION, http://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LCH.

Above 15.5 ft, homes begin to flood so hopefully we don't get much more rain.

[breeze]

Ya'll take care, there, PTrackerLA!

[CajunMama]

PT...got any extra swim goggles, snorkles and fins?

[gboudx]

At my house in Prairieville, we had just about 6 inches for the day yesterday.

I saw this on the New Orleans NWS as an update to the early morning forecast discussion. Anyone know what this could mean? Please don't say more heavy rain, please don't say more heavy rain.

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS/BATON ROUGE LA
810 AM CDT THU MAY 13 2004

.UPDATED DISCUSSION...
PLEASE REFER TO THE LOCAL APPLICATIONS INFO SECTION FOR UPDATED
VALUES BASED ON THE ACTUAL 12Z KSIL SOUNDING. IN SUMMARY...THE
OUTPUT IS MORE ROBUST THAN WHAT THE GFS SOUNDING INDICATED EARLIER.

[vbhoutex]

That sounds to me like what you don't want to hear!! It is indicating a very spicy mixture that could bring more heavy rains and storms.

[gboudx]

So far, nothing today. Looks like it all came together in East Texas. But that doesn't rule us out down here. We don't need anymore rain.

[PTrackerLA]

Looks like our turn with this squall line will be coming up shortly. It also looks to be slowing down. Hopefully it doesn't stick around for a day like the last MCS that came through here which dropped 12"+ in places just to my north and east.