RAINFALL TOTALS FROM MARCH 25-28

Ascension Parish Tornado

...EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN ASCENSION PARISH...

TIME OF EVENT: 1112 PM 3/27/09
BEGINNING POINT: ST. AMANT
ENDING POINT: ST. AMANT
RATING: EF1 MAXIMUM WINDS 100-110 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 1.75 MILES
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 50 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 1
SUMMARY: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY CONFIRMED TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN THE ST AMANT COMMUNITY. ONE HOUSE MOVED OFF FOUNDATION AND ROOF BLOWN OFF. LARGE METAL COMMERCIAL BUILDING HEAVILY DAMAGED. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED TOTAL OF 1 STRUCTURE DESTROYED...10 STRUCTURES SEVERE DAMAGE...20 MODERATE DAMAGE.

Flood Warnings

FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS BATON ROUGE LA
910 AM CDT MON MAR 30 2009

...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN
LOUISIANA...

 THE AMITE RIVER AT DENHAM SPRINGS AFFECTING EAST BATON ROUGE AND
 LIVINGSTON PARISHES

 THE AMITE RIVER AT BAYOU MANCHAC POINT AFFECTING EAST BATON ROUGE
 PARISH

FORECAST CRESTS ARE BASED UPON RAINFALL THAT HAS OCCURRED ALONG WITH
ANTICIPATED RAIN FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORECASTS
WILL BE MADE IF ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURS.

DO NOT DRIVE CARS THROUGH FLOODED AREAS.  REMEMBER...TWO FEET OF
RUSHING WATER CAN CARRY AWAY MOST VEHICLES INCLUDING PICKUPS.  TURN
AROUND AND DON`T DROWN.

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR
 THE AMITE RIVER AT DENHAM SPRINGS.
* UNTIL WEDNESDAY MORNING...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 8:00 AM MONDAY THE STAGE WAS 32.3 FEET.
* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* THE FLOOD STAGE IS 29.0 FEET.
* FORECAST...THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 32.5
 FEET BY THIS AFTERNOON THEN FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE WEDNESDAY
 MORNING.
* IMPACT...AT 30.0 FEET...FLOODING WILL BEGIN IN THE WESTERNMOST PARTS
 OF DENHAM SPRINGS. RIVER ROAD AT THE FOOT OF BENTON LANE WILL FLOOD.

---

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR
 THE AMITE RIVER AT BAYOU MANCHAC POINT.
* UNTIL THURSDAY MORNING...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.
* AT 6:52 AM MONDAY THE STAGE WAS 10.0 FEET.
* MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* THE FLOOD STAGE IS 9.0 FEET.
* FORECAST...THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 12.5 FEET
 BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON THEN FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE THURSDAY MORNING.
* IMPACT...AT 12.0 FEET...KENDALWOOD ROAD AND ADJACENT PROPERTY WILL
 BE INUNDATED. BACKWATER MAY FLOOD BAYOU FOUNTAIN AND FLOOD SOME
 HOMES ON BURBANK DRIVE. MOST SECONDARY ROADS WILL BE MODERATELY
 FLOODED. AMITE RIVER ROAD AND HORSESHOE DRIVE WILL BE IMPASSABLE. A
 FEW HOMES ON HORSESHOE DRIVE WILL FLOOD.

Severe Weather Friday Night

Severe Weather Survey

Severe Weather Affects Southeast Louisiana and Coastal Mississippi

National Weather Service survey teams assessed the damage from a round of severe storms during the early morning hours on March 26, 2009. The following are the results from the surveys across Southeast Louisiana and Coastal Mississippi. Pictures and Track Maps will be updated in the coming days.

...EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN TANGIPAHOA PARISH...

TIME OF EVENT: 158 AM THROUGH 203 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: 2 MILES E INDEPENDENCE
ENDING POINT: 2.75 MILES ENE INDEPENDENCE
RATING: EF1 MAXIMUM WINDS 110 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 0.75 MILES
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 50 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 1
SUMMARY: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY CONFIRMED 7 HOMES WERE DAMAGED AND 1 MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED. 1 TRAILER HEAVILY DAMAGED. IN ADDITION TO THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. MOST OF THE DAMAGE WAS CONTAINED IN THE VICINITY OF HIGHWAY 40 AND SCHOOL ROAD.

...EF0 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN ST TAMMANY PARISH...

TIME OF EVENT: 343 AM THROUGH 343 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: 2 MILES SSE SLIDELL
ENDING POINT: 2 MILES SSE SLIDELL
RATING: EF0 MAXIMUM WINDS 65 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 250 YARDS
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 25 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
SUMMARY: VERY WEAK TORNADO MOVED THROUGH THE SPRINGHILL SUBDIVISION WITH ONLY MINOR TREE DAMAGE AND YARD ITEMS BLOWN AROUND. THE DAMAGE OCCURRED ON ADMIRAL NELSON ROAD.

...EF0 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN JACKSON COUNTY...

TIME OF EVENT: 533 AM THROUGH 534 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: PASCAGOULA
ENDING POINT: PASCAGOULA
RATING: EF0 MAXIMUM WINDS 75 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 250 YARDS
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 50 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
SUMMARY: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY CONFIRMED THAT TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE STORM GOT BACK ON LAND. IT TRAVELED TO THE EAST CAUSING THE MOST DAMAGE AROUND TUCKER AND 8TH STREET AT PASCAGOULA HIGH SCHOOL. THE SCORE BOARD ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD WAS BLOWN DOWN ALONG WITH NUMEROUS FENCES WITH DEBRIS SCATTERED ACROSS THE SCHOOL. THE TORNADO MOVED TOWARD PAUL HARVEY ROAD AND TAYLOR STREET CAUSING LIGHT DAMAGE TO TRAFFIC LIGHTS...MINOR ROOF DAMAGE AND BRINGING DOWN SEVERAL TREES. ALSO A TRAMPOLINE WAS BLOWN ONTO A VAN.

...SIGNIFICANT STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE IN THE BATON ROUGE METRO...

TIME OF EVENT: 105 AM THROUGH 117 AM 3/26/09
MAXIMUM WINDS: 80 MPH
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
SUMMARY: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY CONFIRMED THAT A BOW ECHO DEVELOPED AS THE SQUALL LINE APPROACHED EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. IT CROSSED THE RIVER AROUND 105AM CST AND PROCEEDED THROUGH THE PARISH INTO LIVINGSTON PARISH. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE CITY WITH THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE ACROSS THE LSU CAMPUS EAST THROUGH THE SOUTHDOWNS AND TOWARDS THE INTERSECTION OF AIRLINE AND OLD HAMMOND HIGHWAYS. ALONG WITH TREES AND POWER POLES SCATTERED COMMERCIAL SIGNS ALONG PERKINS ROAD WERE BLOWN DOWN. SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE LSU FOOTBALL INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY.

Heavy Rain and Strong Storms this Week

Our weather pattern is setting up to be one of rounds of heavy rain and some threat for severe storms Wednesday afternoon and evening. Off and on rain will continue through early Saturday morning with as much as 3-5 inches possible by then (see forecast rain totals map).
Also the Storm Prediction Center has most of south Louisiana under a slight risk of storms the next day or so. This will be likely again in Friday afternoon and night. See posted outlooks.




For more information and to read the discussion from the Storm Prediction Center, visit
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/

2009 Spring Outlook

Major Midwest Flooding Highlighted in U.S. Spring Outlook

March 19, 2009

Flooding in the upper Midwest, which could rival the high water levels experienced in 2006 and possibly 1997, and continued drought in the South and West are among the highlights in NOAA’s National Weather Service Spring Outlook issued today.

Flooding – Midwest on Watch

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

A deep snowpack and recent heavy rain have elevated the spring flood threat in parts of the Midwest:

• Water released by melting snowpack that is deeper than normal – while running off the already saturated and frozen ground – poses an imminent serious flood threat in the Red River Valley.

Forecasters say flooding will begin next week and that the Red River of the North in Fargo and Grand Forks, N.D., will ultimately reach major flood stage and has a strong likelihood of a crest measuring among the top five highest on record. Away from rivers, widespread over-land flooding is expected due to the flat terrain and frozen drainage networks in the Red River Basin. The threat in this area is so great that the National Weather Service created a new category – “High Risk” – to distinguish it from the existing “Above Average” category for flooding potential.

• Recent flooding caused by heavy rain from Illinois to Ohio has begun receding, but the now saturated ground is prone to additional flooding with renewed rainfall.

“We are looking at a situation with all the ingredients for near record flooding in the upper Midwest,” said Jack Hayes, director of the National Weather Service. “Sudden snowpack melts due to warm temperatures or a heavy rain could further complicate the flooding on the northern plains.” Supported by advanced water and weather science and early warnings from NOAA, local officials and emergency managers in the Red River Valley are taking action to prepare their communities, according to Hayes.

River levels – past, current and/or projected – at nearly 4,300 stations across the United States are available through the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at weather.gov/water. The National Weather Service Web site has the latest flood advisories, watches and warnings with localized information.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

Temperature and Precipitation – A Waning La Niña

The spring (April through June) temperature and precipitation outlook issued today by the Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service – indicates warmer-than-normal temperatures from Texas westward to the California deserts north to central Utah with cooler-than-normal temperatures in the Northwest, Hawaii and much of Alaska. Odds favor below-average precipitation across the northwestern U.S. and South Florida and favor above-average precipitation in Hawaii and northern Alaska.

Elsewhere across the country there are equal chances of above-, near- or below-normal temperatures and precipitation because there is no strong large-scale climate signal to guide long-range forecasts.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

“The current La Niña will likely have some effect on this spring as it continues to weaken. Although La Niña tends to have a smaller influence on U.S. weather during the warmer months, lingering effects are not uncommon in spring,” said Ed O’Lenic, long-range forecaster with the Climate Prediction Center. La Niña – associated with cooler than average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean – can alter the typical temperature and precipitation patterns across the United States.

Drought’s Grip Loosening in South, West, but Intensifying in Florida

Texas remains in the bulls-eye of the most widespread and intense drought, followed by California, the Southeast and Wisconsin, but the recent record rain brought much-needed moisture to the Lone Star state, according to recent updates to the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor. Storms in February and early March across northern California provided some relief to the drought, but storage in major reservoirs is much below average and spring runoff is forecast to be below average with less than a month left in the wet season.

High resolution (Credit: NOAA)

The Climate Prediction Center’s newly updated Seasonal Drought Outlook highlights these areas of drought as generally persisting through June with limited areas of improvement. Though with continued dryness, drought may develop from northern Virginia to New Jersey.

Underscoring the severity of the Texas drought, the state just emerged from its driest winter since records began in 1895. Even with the recent rain, cumulative rainfall during the past six months remains as much as a foot below normal in parts of Texas and Oklahoma. Therefore, severe drought has not ended and is expected to linger well into spring. Severe drought has been increasing in Florida, where some cities had their driest winter on record, and where an increasing risk of wildfires has developed. The Florida drought is likely to persist and intensify until the thunderstorm season gets underway in late May and June.

Staying Safe during Tornado Season

Spring is also the season for tornadoes as April, May and June are, on average, the busiest months for twisters. Though the severity of this year’s tornado season is influenced by short-term weather patterns that are only predictable out to a week in the future, it is imperative to know when the atmosphere is ripe for severe thunderstorms to produce tornadoes.

“If you don’t already have a NOAA Weather Radio, get one now,” added Hayes. “This is a fast and reliable way to get life-saving warnings from the National Weather Service.”

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.