Tropical disturbance threatens Gulf Coast as New Orleans could see up to 10 inches of rain

Yahoo

3 days ago

A tropical disturbance is threatening to bring heavy rain and the risk of flash floods to the northeastern and central Gulf Coast this week and could become a tropical depression within days, forecasters say.
According to the National Weather Service, the broad area of low pressure is currently over the Florida Panhandle and slowly drifting westward, with coastal areas of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana in its projected path.
'This system is forecast to continue moving westward across the northern portion of the Gulf through tonight, reaching the coast of Louisiana by Thursday,' the National Hurricane Center said in its latest forecast.
Multiple flood watches have already been issued along the Louisiana coast.
How much rain could fall?
The current forecast from the NWS office in New Orleans calls for 3 to 5 inches of rain in coastal Louisiana south of Interstate 10 Wednesday through Saturday, with the potential for up to 10 inches in some areas.
'Ponding of water in low lying and poor drainage areas is likely,' the weather service said, with the potential for more significant flooding in low-lying areas 'if the higher end rainfall totals are realized.'
Localized pockets of heavy rain are also possible in north Florida and the Panhandle on Wednesday, the NWS office in Tallahassee said, as the system moves away.
What are the chances of it intensifying?
According to the hurricane center, there is a 40% chance that the system will become a tropical depression.
'If this system moves far enough offshore, environmental conditions over the Gulf appear generally favorable for additional development, and a tropical depression could still form over the next couple of days before the system moves fully inland by the end of the week,' the hurricane center said.
Further intensification is unlikely, but if it were to become a named storm, it would be Tropical Storm Dexter.
How is hurricane season shaping up?
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1 and runs through the end of November, has gotten off to a relatively slow start.
In May, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted there would be 13 to 19 named storms, with six to 10 becoming hurricanes and three to five of those becoming major hurricanes (with winds of more than 110 mph).
A typical hurricane season averages 14 named storms. So far, there have been three: Tropical Storms Andrea, Barry and Chantal.
Solve the daily Crossword