Tropical Storm Sally: Warning for New Orleans
Heavy rains, winds and storm surge expected in southeastern Louisiana and coastal Mississippi, including New Orleans
Tropical Storm Sally is expected to intensify and cause dangerous assault with both wind and water in southeastern Louisiana and coastal Mississippi, including New Orleans. Sally will be arriving on the northern Gulf coast on Monday.
According to Hurricane Center Forecast, Hurricane could be of category 1 or 2 but there could be a difference in the forecast of the intensity. So keep a watch on the latest updates! It will slow down near the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi, but impacts of rainfall, storm surge, and strong winds will be experienced.
Risks from Sally
Sally is being considered dangerous because it is expected to surge over several tidal cycles and the period of excessive rainfall. If Sally makes landfall during high tide, the Mississippi River could see a storm surge of 7 to 11 feet. The storm surge of 4 to 6 feet is also expected in southeast Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.
The track of Sally shifted around 40 miles west according to the 4 AM update on Sunday. The new path is west of the Mississippi River, which is dangerous for New Orleans because the highest wind and storm surge is expected to occur on the east, that’s where New Orleans is situated. Sally is also predicted to reach ashore in Barataria Bay with the wind of 100 mph on Tuesday and further move into New Orleans and over the north shore with the 80 mph wind.
Heavy rainfall of up to two feet is also expected which has further doubled the risk of floods accompanied by damaging winds. National weather service has already issued flood watches in Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, southern Mississippi, and southeastern Louisiana.
Currently, Sally is situated less than 185 miles east-southeast of southeast Louisiana. The storm has already bought rain to parts of Florida on Saturday. It is further expected to bring 8 to 16 inches of rain locally, and up to 24 inches of rain in the gulf coast from the Florida panhandle to southern Alabama. Sally could also produce heavy rain in north Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas later in the week.
Storm force winds are expected to impact the Gulf Coast on Monday and Tuesday and it could cause damages like downing trees and power outages.
Details of Tornado is still very uncertain but there may be chances of Tornadoes from Sally in the areas from southeast Louisiana to southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the western Florida Panhandle.