Heavy rain hits Gulf Coast as slow-moving storms linger across the region
A sprawling area of storms infused with tropical moisture is dropping heavy rain along the Gulf Coast and could produce significant flash flooding into the weekend.
Heavy rain associated with Tropical Rainstorm 93L caused flash flooding and ponding in Houma, Louisiana, on July 17.
(CNN) — A sprawling area of storms infused with tropical moisture is dropping heavy rain along the Gulf Coast and could produce significant flash flooding into the weekend.
The threat Friday is not as bad as previously expected, thanks to the weakening tropical disturbance. But localized flash flooding – especially in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida – remains possible, particularly where storms repeatedly track over the same saturated areas.
A Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall is in place through Saturday morning along the Gulf Coast from east Texas to the west Florida panhandle – including New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Gulfport, Mississippi. Heavy storms could be long-lasting, tracking over the same areas repeatedly and soaking the same spots with several inches of rain.
This continuing flood threat is just the latest in what has been a summer full of deadly and devastating floods.
The term “tropical rainstorm” was first implemented by AccuWeather and is meant to highlight the lingering dangerous impacts of a tropical system, including life-threatening flooding and tornadoes.
Multiple flash flood warnings were in effect across different parts of southern Louisiana late Thursday, including St. John The Baptist Parish and St. Charles Parish. Low-lying bayou communities in southern Louisiana are especially prone to flooding, where already saturated soils and poor drainage can quickly turn heavy rain into high water.
The National Weather Service in New Orleans reported several flooded streets in LaPlace, Destrehan, New Sarpy and Luling, where houses were taking in water.
Some localized areas in southeastern Louisiana experienced rainfall rates of 2 to 5 inches per hour and received as much as 9 inches of rain Thursday, according to the weather service office in Lake Charles.
New Orleans residents are preparing sandbags in an effort to brace for the approach of a dangerous tropical rainstorm that is expected to drench Louisiana with heavy rain and flooding this week.
In New Orleans, officials opened several sandbag distribution sites Wednesday ahead of the heaviest rain, according to a notification from the city. All city buildings were closed to the public Thursday due to the weather threat. “With a significant decrease in weather impacts, City buildings will reopen to the public tomorrow … and return to normal operations,” said city officials.
Earlier in the week, it looked like this stormy weather would have a decent chance of becoming at least a tropical depression with plenty of very warm water in the Gulf, which would provide fuel for development. Despite moving over that water, the storms have so far been ripped apart by hostile upper-level winds, leaving it unlikely to claim Dexter, the next name on the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season list.
Monday into Tuesday, the same storm cluster traveled across the Florida peninsula, dropping nearly a foot of rain in the Tampa area. This amount of rain in a short time overwhelmed even Florida’s resilient, sandy soil, causing flooding in Brevard County, according to the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office.
Daytona Beach was drenched with 2.25 inches of rain on Tuesday, breaking its previous daily record of 2 inches set on July 15, 1935.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Report a Typo
