Rain, road flooding as Cristobal draws closer
NEW ORLEANS » Rain pounded the U.S. Gulf Coast on Sunday ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Cristobal, which has already spawned a tornado in Florida and threatened more twisters along with high winds and storm surge.
Roads flooded in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi, and thousands were without power even before the storm made landfall. It was expected to arrive on U.S. soil late Sunday, though it was not expected to grow into a hurricane.
Forecasters warned the storm would affect a wide area stretching roughly 180 miles east into Florida. But they forecast the worst impacts in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi, where some spots could get up to 12 inches of rain and storm surges of up to 5 feet.
“It’s very efficient, very tropical rainfall,” National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said in a Facebook video. “It rains a whole bunch real quick.”
The storm could also generate tornadoes in parts of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.
Rain fell intermittently in New Orleans famed French Quarter on Sunday afternoon, but the streets were nearly deserted, with many businesses already boarded up due to the coronavirus.
Daniel Priestman shopped for groceries but said he didn’t see people frantically stocking up as he did before other storms. He said people may be “overwhelmed” by the coronavirus and recent police violence and protests.
They seemed “resigned to whatever happens — happens,” he said.