

000 

WGUS74 KLIX 090253

FFSNEW

LAZ034>040-046>050-056>070-MSZ077-080>082-090930-



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA

945 PM CDT SAT SEP 8 2001



A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MIDDAY

FOR MOST OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.



THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI...

PEARL RIVER...HANCOCK...HARRISON AND JACKSON.



THIS WATCH INCLUDES THAT PORTION OF LOUISIANA EAST OF THE

ATCHAFALAYA RIVER.



THE FOLLOWING CITIES AND COMMUNITIES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH...

BATON ROUGE...HAMMOND...BOGALUSA...SLIDELL...HOUMA...METAIRIE...NEW

ORLEANS...PICAYUNE...GULFPORT...BILOXI...AND PASCAGOULA.



A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE

WATCH AREA...ESPECIALLY NEAR STREAMS...BAYOUS...AND AREAS OF POOR

DRAINAGE.



AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH PORTIONS OF THE LOWER

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE WESTERN

HALF OF THE GULF OF MEXICO WHICH WILL MAINTAIN THE DEEP FETCH OF

TROPICAL MOISTURE INTO THE WATCH AREA. DUE TO THE UNSTABLE NATURE OF

THIS TROPICAL AIRMASS...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO

REDEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY.



AS ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PASS OVER RAIN SOAKED AREAS

LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY...THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF AN

ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3

INCHES POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE TRACK OF THE STRONGER STORMS.



HEAVY RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME MAY RESULT IN RAPID RUNOFF

INTO STREAMS AND BAYOUS OR PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS. DUE

TO THE RECENT WEEK LONG RAINY PERIOD...GROUNDS ARE NEARLY SATURATED

AND FLASH FLOODING COULD OCCUR WITH RAINFALL RATES GREATER THAN ONE

AND A HALF INCHES IN AN HOUR.



IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY. MOVE TO HIGHER LOCATIONS TO

ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN

WATER BEGINS RISING...AND DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS

THE ROAD.



STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION

STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS

AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL FLASH FLOOD

SITUATION.

