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000 

WGUS74 KLIX 220333

FFSNEW

LAC005-007-033-037-047-051-057-063-071-075-077-087-089-091-093-095-

103-105-109-117-121-125-MSC005-045-047-059-109-113-147-157-220800-



FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA

933 PM CST FRI FEB 21 2003



...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST AND COASTAL

   MISSISSIPPI...SOUTH CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST

   LOUISIANA TONIGHT...



A VERY STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER CENTRAL TEXAS WILL CONTINUE TO

MOVE RAPIDLY EAST INTO NORTHERN LOUISIANA LATER TONIGHT. THE

ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW OVER SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI WILL MOVE

NORTHEAST THROUGH MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT.



SOME AREAS WEST...NORTH AND EAST OF BATON ROUGE AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST

MISSISSIPPI HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED 4 TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN. IN

ADDITION...A SWATH OF 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL OCCURRED OVER

PORTIONS OF SAINT CHARLES PARISH TO SAINT BERNARD PARISH AND OVER

PORTIONS OF SAINT TAMMANY PARISH.



AS THE SURFACE LOW PUSHES NORTHEAST...AN ASSOCIATED PRE-FRONTAL

TROUGH WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS

TROUGH WITH A FEW STORMS POSSIBLY BECOMING SEVERE THROUGH 2 AM CST.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN A FEW LOCATIONS MAY CAUSE

EXCESSIVE RUN-OFF AND FLOODING IN RAIN SOAKED AREAS. ISOLATED STORM

TOTALS THROUGH LATE TONIGHT COULD REACH 7 TO 10 INCHES MAINLY IN

EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. THE THREAT OF SIGNIFICANT RAINS WILL

DIMINISH AFTER MIDNIGHT AND THE WATCH WILL LIKELY BE CANCELLED LATER

TONIGHT.



SOME RIVERS ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI ARE

ABOVE FLOOD STAGE OR ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. PLEASE

REFER TO RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS FOR EACH RIVER BASIN FOR ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION.



A FLOOD WATCH MEANS RAPIDLY RISING WATER OR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE

WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA...CHECK

PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS...KEEP INFORMED...AND BE READY FOR QUICK

ACTION IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.



PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE WEATHER SITUATION IN THEIR AREA AND

BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY IF

FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED. DO NOT DRIVE INTO

AREAS WHERE WATER CROSSES THE ROADWAY.



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

STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS

POTENTIAL FLOOD SITUATION.



FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LIX

(ALL LOWER CASE).



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