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000 

WGUS74 KLIX 042203

FFSNEW

LAZ034>040-046>050-056>066-MSZ068>071-077-052200-



FLOOD WATCH

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA

400 PM CST WED FEB 4 2004



THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW ORLEANS HAS CONTINUED THE FLOOD

WATCH EFFECTIVE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING

LOCATIONS...



IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...

   POINTE COUPEE...WEST FELICIANA...EAST FELICIANA...SAINT

   HELENA...TANGIPAHOA...WASHINGTON...IBERVILLE...WEST

   BATON ROUGE...EAST BATON ROUGE...LIVINGSTON...SAINT

   TAMMANY...ASCENSION...SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST...

   ASSUMPTION...SAINT JAMES...SAINT CHARLES...TERREBONNE...

   UPPER LAFOURCHE...UPPER JEFFERSON...UPPER PLAQUEMINES...

   UPPER ST BERNARD...AND ORLEANS PARISHES.



IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...

   WILKINSON...AMITE...PIKE...WALTHALL...AND PEARL RIVER COUNTIES.





A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE PLAINS STATES

TODAY AND MOVE EAST TOWARD THE GULF STATES. THE UPPER LEVEL WIND

PATTERN IN CONJUNCTION WITH MOIST GULF FLOW IN THE LOWER LEVELS OF

THE ATMOSPHERE...WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN

THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY. AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN MAY DEVELOP ALONG

AND AHEAD OF A WARM FRONT MOVING NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA

LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING.



AVERAGE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WATCH

AREA WITH LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL

FOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BE LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.

EXCESSIVE RAINFALL COULD CAUSE SEVERAL OF THE AREAS RIVER BASINS TO

REACH FLOOD STAGE OR HIGHER. ONCE THE FLOOD WATCH EXPIRES THURSDAY

NIGHT...RIVER FLOODING PROBLEMS MAY CONTINUE OR EVEN WORSEN.



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 FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.



STAY TUNED TO LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCASTS FOR SUBSEQUENT

FORECASTS ON THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION.

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