New Orleans latest: Where is Tropical Storm Barry and where is it heading?
TROPICAL Storm Barry has made landfall in Louisiana, but did not unleash catastrophic flooding as feared.
But where is Tropical Storm Barry now and which parts of the US is it heading towards? Here’s the latest.
Where is Tropical Storm Barry?
Hurricane Barry has been downgraded to a tropical storm.
The storm had been “crawling” across Louisiana at about 9mph – slower than a cyclist, said the National Hurricane Centre.
It hit Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, July 13, before weakening on Sunday as it moved slowly across the state and into Arkansas.
New Orleans was spared as it dropped 15 inches of rain in some places, with flooding not as bad as expected.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards urged residents to be cautious as they ventured outside after a weekend in which many had sheltered indoors.
He said he was “extremely grateful” that the storm had not caused the disastrous floods that had earlier been forecast.
More than 90 people had been rescued in 11 parishes, but there were no reports of weather-related fatalities, Edwards said.
“This was a storm that obviously could have played out very, very differently,” he said. “We’re thankful that the worst-case scenario did not happen.”
The National Hurricane Centre said on Monday, July 15, that the system remains a flood threat.
What is Tropical Storm Barry?
Tropical Storm Barry is being fuelled by warmth in the Gulf of Mexico that was likely exacerbated by climate change, scientists said on Friday.
While no single storm can be linked directly to climate change, the trend of warming air and seas around the globe has caused conditions that scientists say will, on average, make storms stronger and dump more rain.
“The real increased threat from a warming climate is an atmosphere that’s capable of producing higher intensity precipitation,” said Jill Trepanier, an expert in extreme climatic and weather events at Louisiana State University.
She said warmer air in the Gulf of Mexico will likely add fuel to the storm, while warmer ocean temperatures there will fill it with vast amounts of evaporated water that can lead to dangerous flooding.
Where is the storm heading?
The National Hurricane Centre said that the centre of Storm Barry was forecast to move into Arkansas on Sunday night into Monday morning (July 15).
Barry was downgraded from a tropical storm on Sunday afternoon but continues to pose a threat.
Much of Louisiana and Mississippi are under flash-flood watches, as are parts of Arkansas, eastern Texas, western Tennessee and southeastern Missouri.
Although the storm has been moving slowly, it’s bringing heavy rainfall with it.
Forecasters warned of a continued threat of heavy rains into Monday as the centre of Barry moved further inland.
The said that parts of south-central Louisiana could still have rainfall totals of up to 12 inches (30cm), with isolated pockets of 15 inches (38cm).
About 51,000 customers in Louisiana, 1,800 in Mississippi and another 1,700 in Arkansas were without power Sunday night, according to poweroutage.us.
Is more flooding expected?
CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said that more than 11million people are under flash-flood watch from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi up towards the southern tip of Illinois.
He added that tornadoes are possible from the Gulf Coast through the mid-Mississippi River Valley, along with torrential rain.
According to CNN meteorologist Michael Guy, Barry can expect an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain from the lower Mississippi River Valley through portions of Arkansas, west Tennessee and northwest Mississippi
As Barry pushes into the Ohio Valley rain reaching over 15 inches can be expected by midweek.
Residents were warned to prepare for the storm by stocking up on drinking water and non-perishable food, as well as other emergency supplies.