16BARRY CLOSE CALL
Big Easy dodges disaster as storm soaks La.
New Orleans and Louisiana’s coast appear to have avoided the worst of Barry, which made landfall Saturday afternoon and has been downgraded to a tropical depression, but meteorologists warned of severe flooding from torrential rains into Monday.
Barry was crawling across northwestern Louisiana at 9 mph on Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, with maximum sustained winds of around 40 mph.
The main concern is “lifethreatening flooding rains,” with as much as 6 to 12 inches falling over southcentral Louisiana as the slow-moving storm progresses, officials said. Areas in the Lower Mississippi Valley could see 4 to 8 inches, with up to 12 inches in some places. More than 11 million people are under flash-flood watches between the Gulf Coast and the southern Midwest, CNN reported.
Tornado watches were in effect for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, including near Baton Rouge, into Sunday evening.
At least 115,000 homes and businesses lost power, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Sunday that her city was “beyond lucky.”
“We were spared,” she said at a press conference.
Forecasters had warned of a possible storm surge of 2 to 3 feet, which would have raised the Mississippi River to 19 feet, just 12 inches below the levee level. But New Orleans expects the river rise to about 17 feet, even with the rain forecast for Monday.
Collin Arnold, Homeland Security director for New Orleans, warned residents not to become complacent.
“Remember that while we were fortunate with Barry, we may not be so fortunate next time,” he said at a news conference. “We are entering the peak of hurricane season, so we need to remain ready.”
Flights into and out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport resumed early Sunday, with most airlines returning to normal operations. Passengers were advised to arrive at least two hours before their departure.
The most severe damage from Barry could be along the Gulf of Mexico coast, scientists warned. The combination of a strong tidal surge, rainfall and recordhigh water levels in the Mississippi River could cause catastrophic problems.
Barry is expected to move north out of Louisiana and into Arkansas on Monday and Tuesday.