Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Tropical trouble could stir near Southeast beaches around 4th of July. Get details Chevron right
Severe storms, flash flooding to bring July Fourth holiday travel hassles. Get details Chevron right

Columbus, OH

76°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

76°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

New Orleans left underwater as city races to prepare for approaching storm

By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather senior editor

Published Jul 10, 2019 3:26 PM EDT | Updated Jul 12, 2019 4:21 AM EDT

Copied

A waterspout just off of the New Orleans, Louisiana coast came ashore on July 10, causing violent tornado damage. One large home was ripped to pieces by the powerful winds.

Severe thunderstorms prompted tornado warnings and inundated downtown New Orleans on Wednesday morning, causing travel to be disrupted and forcing the closure of City Hall. The flooding occurred as a brewing tropical system, which has become Tropical Storm Barry, gathered strength over the Gulf of Mexico.

A flash flood emergency was declared in Jefferson Parish, with nearly 8 inches of rain reported in some areas. A total of 6.27 inches was observed at the heliport in downtown New Orleans, while Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in the northwestern part of the city reported 1.54 inches. In Bridge City, located southwest of downtown, 7.75 inches of rain fell.

New Orleans city officials and those with the National Weather Service urged residents to stay off the roads and to seek higher ground if they encountered flooding. An EarthCam posted in the French Quarter captured video of the city's iconic Bourbon Street underwater as cars navigated the intersection and heavy rain continued falling. Between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. local time, about 5.56 inches fell in downtown New Orleans.

"Heavy downpours will still be a threat over the coming days as Barry moves by just off of the coast to the south," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said.

Flash flood emergency issued in New Orleans amid widespread flooding
Twitter

Barry has the potential to unleash a deluge of more than 2 feet of rain on parts of the Gulf states, which Sojda said poses a dangerous situation for the Louisiana coastline.

"This weekend looks to carry the most significant flooding threat for southern Louisiana, as Tropical Storm Barry makes landfall in southwestern Louisiana," Sojda said. He added, "Areas to the east of the landfall point are expected to see the heaviest rain this weekend, with 20-plus inches possible in spots. This threat includes New Orleans."

The heavy rain on Wednesday and the approaching precipitation from Barry over the Gulf fueled flooding concerns and sparked evacuations in and around New Orleans.

Offshore oil operators in the Gulf of Mexico have already evacuated platforms and rigs, KATC reports.

A mandatory evacuation was ordered for the east bank of Plaquemines Parish starting at 6 a.m. Thursday. Parts of the west bank are also under a mandatory evacuation, spanning from the Oakville floodgate south to Venice.

Voluntary evacuations were also issued starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday for the same areas.

Additionally, Mayor David Camardelle of Grand Isle issued a voluntary evacuation just after 3 p.m. CDT as a precautionary measure.

Earlier this week, the New Orleans branch of the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast the Mississippi River to crest at 20 feet Friday night into Saturday. Levees in New Orleans are able to protect the city from surges up to 20 feet, creating the possibility for a disaster. The NWS said officials there are coordinating closely with the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Hurricane Center and urged residents in the area to be vigilant about monitoring for updates in the coming days about potential flooding.

However, on Thursday, the river level forecast showed the river was expected to crest at 19 feet on Saturday, just below major flood stage.

Mississippi River Level 11 am

The NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service shows the Mississippi River at New Orleans is expected to crest at 19 feet on Saturday, July 13. (NWS)

To prepare for Tropical Storm Barry, at least 200 flood gates around New Orleans are expected to be closed by Friday, according to NOLA.com.

Despite tornado warnings that lasted well into the afternoon, no confirmed tornadoes were reported. However, people captured and posted to social media images of an apparent waterspout that formed over Lake Pontchartrain and destroyed a home.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a post on Twitter that police officers would ticket motorists who drive faster than 5 mph on streets with standing water and that parking restrictions on neutral grounds and sidewalks had been suspended.

"Residents are reminded not to block intersections or streetcar tracks. To reduce risk of street flooding, do not park in front of or on a catch basin," Cantrell said. Some streets were inundated with as much as 3 to 4 feet of water. Morgan Chesky of NBC News posted video on Twitter showing a deserted Dauphine Street completely submerged as traffic lights flashed on and off in the distance.

Dauphine Street under about 3-4 feet of water after a couple hours of heavy rain. #NBCNews pic.twitter.com/kXk06ejnHK

— Morgan Chesky (@BreakingChesky) July 10, 2019

The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board said that all major pumps were operating and that officials had 118 out of an available 120.

More than 20,000 customers around New Orleans didn't have power as of 10 a.m. local time, according to Entergy New Orleans.

Some departures out of the international airport were delayed due to the storms. The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority said all buses and streetcars were at a standstill.

"Once the streets are clear, they will continue their routes," officials said.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Recreation

Boulders narrowly miss swimmers at popular Utah waterfall

Jun. 27, 2025
Weather Forecasts

July 4 Forecast: Thunderstorms to focus over Upper Midwest and Florida

Jul. 1, 2025
Weather News

Girl, 8, rescued after 7 hours in flooded sewer in China

Jun. 27, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Severe Weather

Severe storms, flash flooding to bring July 4 holiday travel hassles

5 hours ago

Weather News

Storm chaser stages whirlwind proposal with real tornado

7 hours ago

Weather News

Tropical trouble could stir near Southeast beaches around 4th of July

5 hours ago

Astronomy

July offers rare meteor shower combo, stunning views of the Milky Way

5 days ago

Weather News

Flights cancelled as Atlanta airport recovers from severe weather

2 days ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Travel

Fourth of July gas hasn’t been this cheap since 2021

8 hours ago

Recreation

Two people rescued after going overboard on Disney cruise ship

9 hours ago

Weather News

Fossil reveals ‘Last of Us’-type fungus likely lived with dinosaurs

6 days ago

Health

'Inverse' vaccines may hold key to challenge autoimmune diseases

1 day ago

Weather News

World’s most liveable city for 2025 revealed

1 week ago

AccuWeather Weather News New Orleans left underwater as city races to prepare for approaching storm
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...