Lee dumps heavy rains on New Orleans
Source: Agencies |
September 6, 2011, Tuesday
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THE massive Lee storm system dumped more than a 30 centimeters of rain in New Orleans and spawned tornadoes elsewhere before it weakened to a tropical depression, but forecasters warned yesterday that slow-moving rain clouds pose a flooding threat to inland areas.
Lee's remnants were expected to continue to march to the northeast of the United States. Areas of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi near the coast reported scattered wind damage and flooding on Sunday, while New Orleans levees and pumping system were doing their jobs.
National Hurricane Center specialist Robbie Berg said Lee's flash flood threat could be more severe as the rain moves from the flatter Gulf region into the rugged Appalachians.
Closer to the Gulf, the water is "just going to sit there a couple of days," he said. "Up in the Appalachians you get more threat of flash floods."
The threat of tornadoes spawned by Lee's remnants was diminishing early yesterday, said Fred Zeigler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. But he said coastal flooding would remain a concern.
No deaths had been directly attributed to Lee, though a body boarder in Galveston, Texas, drowned after being pulled out to sea in heavy surf churned up by Lee. The Coast Guard was also searching on Sunday for a teenage boy swept away by rough surf off Gulf Shores, Alabama. A man in Mississippi also suffered non-life-threatening injuries when authorities said he was struck by lightning that traveled through a phone line.
The vast, soggy system spent hours during the weekend hovering in the northernmost Gulf of Mexico before its center finally crossed into Louisiana west of New Orleans, pelting a wide swath of coastline.
On Sunday night, the National Hurricane Center said Lee's center was about 90 kilometers west-northwest of McComb, Mississippi, and moving east-northeast at 11 kilometers per hour.
Elsewhere, Hurricane Katia gained force as it moved across the Atlantic Ocean. By yesterday morning, Katia's maximum sustained winds had increased to 177 kph. That makes Katia a strong Category 2 storm, but it's possible Katia will get even stronger as the day goes on.
Lee's remnants were expected to continue to march to the northeast of the United States. Areas of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi near the coast reported scattered wind damage and flooding on Sunday, while New Orleans levees and pumping system were doing their jobs.
National Hurricane Center specialist Robbie Berg said Lee's flash flood threat could be more severe as the rain moves from the flatter Gulf region into the rugged Appalachians.
Closer to the Gulf, the water is "just going to sit there a couple of days," he said. "Up in the Appalachians you get more threat of flash floods."
The threat of tornadoes spawned by Lee's remnants was diminishing early yesterday, said Fred Zeigler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. But he said coastal flooding would remain a concern.
No deaths had been directly attributed to Lee, though a body boarder in Galveston, Texas, drowned after being pulled out to sea in heavy surf churned up by Lee. The Coast Guard was also searching on Sunday for a teenage boy swept away by rough surf off Gulf Shores, Alabama. A man in Mississippi also suffered non-life-threatening injuries when authorities said he was struck by lightning that traveled through a phone line.
The vast, soggy system spent hours during the weekend hovering in the northernmost Gulf of Mexico before its center finally crossed into Louisiana west of New Orleans, pelting a wide swath of coastline.
On Sunday night, the National Hurricane Center said Lee's center was about 90 kilometers west-northwest of McComb, Mississippi, and moving east-northeast at 11 kilometers per hour.
Elsewhere, Hurricane Katia gained force as it moved across the Atlantic Ocean. By yesterday morning, Katia's maximum sustained winds had increased to 177 kph. That makes Katia a strong Category 2 storm, but it's possible Katia will get even stronger as the day goes on.
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