Hurricane Barry has caused preemptive evacuations, power outages, heavy rains, Coast Guard rescues and power outages across Louisiana — and it's expected to get worse.
Threat level: The National Weather Service says this "life-threatening storm surge" will cause flash flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi's coastal areas as it continues to move inland.
- New Orleans already flooded on Wednesday, with as much as 7 inches of rain. This Category 1 hurricane, upgraded from a tropical storm, will be a Katrina-level test for the city's refurbished levee system.
What's happening: Up to 2 feet of rain is likely to fall in parts of Louisiana as Barry gathers onshore, and 10-20 inches is possible on Saturday. This rain could overwhelm New Orleans' pumping systems and cause a repeat of Wednesday morning's flash flood emergency.
- The rain, combined with a surge of 3–5 feet from the incoming storm, could cause the Mississippi River to rise to near or above 20 feet in New Orleans.
- The river levees protecting the city are 20 feet high, and haven't been tested in this way. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused failures in the city's storm surge protection system.
- To prepare for this storm, New Orleans sealed its flood gates in the Hurricane Risk Reduction System for the first time, the governor said.
Flooding on Jean Lafitte Blvd. (LA45) pic.twitter.com/W5uaKxQWNe
— Paul Dudley (@Pauldudleynews) July 13, 2019
I’m here on Eden Isle on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain where the waves are really picking up. Water is completely covering the road here at Debbie Drive and Clara Drive. #TrackingBarry #TropicalStormBarry #NOLAwx #LAwx #flooding #Barry @WGNOtv pic.twitter.com/GXhOZSgqnJ
— Jeremy Jackson (@JeremyJacksonAL) July 13, 2019
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
