The city of New Orleans is gearing up for Tropical Storm Barry to turn into a hurricane before it hits the coast this weekend, and parts of the city are already experiencing intense flooding. Multiple counties are under a flash flood warning, and at least one tornado warning has come through.
Barry is the first tropical storm to hit the US coast this year, but it’s very possible that he will be graded to hurricane status before he makes landfall. Meteorologists aren’t certain yet, but he is expected to hit Louisiana and the gulf coast sometime Saturday.
The upgrade in status all depends on how long the storm sits over the warm ocean water before hitting land. The longer it has time to brew, heat, and gather strength, the more likely Barry will be the first hurricane to hit the US this season.
This has been a very wet spring and summer for most of the US. Even if New Orleans hasn’t broken any rain records in the past few months, it doesn’t matter – levels of the Mississippi River are so high from runoff of streams that have been hit, even a bad-but-not-devastating storm could cause flooding to the city.
The river could crest at 19 feet, or just under the record of 21.3 feet. New Orleans itself is protected to a height of only 20 feet, which does not leave a whole lot of wiggle room. Those living along the river are being told to prepare for the worst.
Already parts of the city are underwater, with some residents finding upwards of 2 feet of it in their basements (Who has basements in New Orleans?!) and ground floor levels. In the 24 hours between Friday and Saturday afternoon, parts of the Gulf Coast could see anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of rain dumped on them, which is a lot to fall in such a short amount of time.
To make matters worse, Barry isn’t a hard-hitting, fast-moving storm – which is why it’s likely he will be upgraded to a hurricane before he hits the coast. At only about 4 MPH right now, a storm this slow will linger over the city, continually dumping water not for hours but days.
This all adds up to potential disaster early in a hurricane season that is expected to be relatively normal.
City officials are warning people to gather supplies, pay attention to news reports, and be prepared for the worst Barry has to offer. Some oil rigs in the Gulf Coast have already been evacuated ahead of Barry’s landfall, and shelters are being prepared.
