Barry’s flood threat lingers as storm sweeps inland

NEW ORLEANS — Tropical Depression Barry dumped rain as it slowly swept inland through Gulf Coast states Sunday, sparing New Orleans from a direct hit but stoking fears elsewhere of flooding, tornadoes and prolonged power outages.

Though the system was downgraded to a tropical depression Sunday afternoon and its winds were steadily weakening since it made landfall Saturday in Louisiana, Barry’s rain bands created a flooding and tornado threat stretching from central Louisiana to eastern Mississippi and beyond. Several parishes or counties in both states were under flash flood warnings.

Far from the storm’s center, tornado warnings were issued Sunday morning in both states, though no serious damage or injuries were reported.

“This was a storm that obviously could have played out very, very differently,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “We’re thankful that the worstcase scenario did not happen.”

Forecasters warned Floodwater pools near homes in St. Martinville, La., in the aftermath of Tropical Depression Barry. of a continued threat of heavy rains into Monday as the center of the storm trudged inland. The National Hurricane Center said Sunday that parts of south-central Louisiana still could have rainfall totals of up to 12 inches, with isolated pockets of 15 inches.

In Mississippi, forecasters said 8 inches of rain had fallen in parts of Jasper and Jones counties, with several more inches possible. With torrential rain pounding the state’s Interstate 59 corridor, only the headlights of oncoming cars were visible on the highway, and water flowed like a creek in the median.

Barry’s center continued to move through northern Louisiana into Arkansas. The system, which had briefly become a Category 1 hurricane, had its maximum winds fall to 35 mph.

New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell said Sunday the city was “beyond lucky” that rainfall fell well short of early predictions of a deluge that could have overwhelmed the city’s pumping systems.

In a sign the city was returning to normal, flights were resuming Sunday at its airport. Restaurants reopened, and people were retrieving their cars from medians and other high ground.

About 75,000 customers in Louisiana, 4,000 customers in Mississippi and 1,800 customers in Arkansas were without power Sunday evening, according to poweroutage.us.