Unrelenting weekend rain floods parts of Louisiana, Mississippi Mother's Day morning
The Bonnet Carré Spillway, which is 12 miles west of New Orleans, Louisiana, has opened up for the second time this year due to significant flooding.
New Orleans was among the many communities of the lower Mississippi Valley that endured flooding this weekend.
Residents across parts of New Orleans woke up to floodwaters at their doorstep on Mother's Day morning.
Homes in nearby St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, even reported flood waters entering their homes.
Nearly 5 inches of rain inundated New Orleans from Saturday evening to early Sunday morning with close to 3 inches falling early Sunday morning alone.
The heavy rainfall caused the Mississippi River to rise even after the historic opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway for the second time this year.
"While the opening of Bonnet Carré Spillway caused the river level to drop earlier in the weekend, runoff from the heavy rain caused the Mississippi River at New Orleans to rise briefly back above minor flood stage of 17.0 feet," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
"While levees continue to protect the city at this stage, navigation and docking will remain difficult for boaters," she said.
The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority temporarily suspended all of its public transportation services Mother's Day morning, and the NOPD tweeted out a warning against driving through flood water.
Multiple exit ramps on freeways were closed due to water in the roadway, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation.
The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board said the more than 2 inches that fell between 5:15 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. Sunday outpaced the city's draining system.
In Louisiana's neighboring state, rainfall totals from Tuesday to Sunday were as high as 14.07 inches near Perkinston, Mississippi.
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said he was declaring a state of emergency for areas affected by the recent storms.
According to the Emergency Manager, Hancock County, Mississippi began evacuating some homes along Road 326 due to flooding along the Wolf River around 9:45 a.m. CDT.
"Much-needed dry weather will span the lower Mississippi Valley this week, but larger rivers will continue to rise and threaten homes and land along their banks," Pydynowski said.
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