As potential tropical storm forms, floodwaters swamp New Orleans

July 10, 2019

Floodwaters swamped streets in New Orleans’ French Quarter on Wednesday, and strong thunderstorms in the area prompted a tornado warning amid concerns that even worse weather was on the way to Louisiana and other states along the Gulf of Mexico. The storms were associated with a broad area of disturbed weather in the Gulf that’s expected to become better organized by this weekend when it threatens the region with torrential rain.

The developing storm system was likely to become Tropical Storm Barry. CBS News contributing meteorologist Jeff Berardelli reports it would likely start to consolidate later Wednesday and Thursday.

Once the system becomes better organized, it could push the already swollen Mississippi River precariously close to the tops of levees that protect New Orleans, forecasters said. The low pressure area Wednesday was over water south of the Florida Panhandle.

It was expected to strengthen into a storm as it moved west through the Gulf’s warm waters. Lines of thunderstorms associated with the system on Wednesday extended far out in into the Gulf and battered New Orleans, where at least 3 inches of rain had fallen by mid-morning.

It’s expected to get much worse in the days ahead. Weather models showed a potential landfall either Friday night or Saturday most likely on the Louisiana coast, Berardelli reports.

A map made by the National Hurricane Center shows the projected path of a storm system expected to become Tropical Storm Barry July 10, 2019. National Hurricane Center

Barry may be either a tropical storm or a low-end hurricane when it moves onshore, Berardelli reports. Parts of Louisiana could see up to 12 inches of rain by Monday, with heavier amounts possible in some spots, forecasters said.

Mississippi and Texas were also at risk of torrential rains. The National Weather Service said New Orleans is protected to a river level of 20 feet, but it was forecast to rise above flood stage to 19 feet by Friday.