Tropical Storm Cindy turns deadly, pounds Gulf Coast

Flooding poses the biggest threat, meteorologists say

USA TODAY

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Wednesday as Tropical Storm Cindy turned deadly and roared through the Gulf of Mexico toward the coast, slashing the region with heavy rains and flooding.

A 10-year-old boy died in Alabama, parts of Louisiana had 5 inches of rain by early afternoon, and Pensacola was slammed by more than 8 inches of rain in 36 hours. And more was on the way.

Cindy, with sustained winds of 50 mph, was forecast to drop 6 to 12 inches of rain across parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and western portions of the Florida Panhandle through Thursday. The storm could produce “life-threatening flash floods along the central Gulf Coast,” the National Weather Service said.

Flooding and power outages were already reported early Wednesday. The storm was forecast to make landfall along the Texas-Louisiana border early Thursday. A tropical storm warning was in effect from San Luis Pass, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River.

There was some good news Wednesday when the weather service lifted the tropical storm warning for metropolitan New Orleans. But Mayor Mitch Landrieu urged residents not to be complacent as parts of the city were hit with five inches of rain by midday.

“Just because we’re not in the cone for this storm doesn’t mean we’re not going to continue to feel the impact,” Landrieu tweeted.

Some streets in the city were closed because of flooding, and Landrieu asked residents to clean out catch basins, and not to drive through standing water. Landrieu said the city could expect an additional 3-6 inches of rain by midday Friday. And tornadoes also were a possibility.

AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said Cindy, which formed Tuesday, was moving slowly because it was trapped between a strong high pressure system blamed for blazing heat in the Southwest and another strong high over the Atlantic.

Kottlowski said the worst problem will be inland flooding, an issue that could continue into the weekend as the storm makes its way into Tennessee and beyond.

In Louisiana, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was moving 125,000 meals and 200,000 bottles of water into the state. The Louisiana National Guard moved highwater vehicles and helicopters into areas that could potentially flood.

Localized flooding has already been reported in parts of St. Mary Parish, and power outages were reported in Morgan City. Flood control locks and gates were being closed along Louisiana’s coast. Flooding was also reported on Alabama’s Dauphin Island.

In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey declared a statewide emergency, citing weather service forecasts for significant flash flooding in her state through Thursday. On Wednesday, a 10year-old boy died after he was struck by a log that washed up in the storm, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Capt. Stephen Arthur told the Associated Press.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the State Operations Center to upgrade to “increased readiness.”

Abbott activated four Texas Task Force 1 boat squads and two Texas Military Department vehicle squads of five vehicles each to respond to any emergencies. The Department of State Health Services Emergency Medical Task Force, Texas Military Forces Aircraft and shelter and feeding teams were placed on standby.

“As we have learned in the past, weather patterns can change rapidly and without warning,” he said. “I ask all Texans to keep those in the storm’s path, and our brave first responders, in their prayers as they prepare for this storm.”