THis afternoon and more to the north, bad weather will come to this area. Stand by!
Forecasters are warning residents all over southeastern Louisiana to be ready for the possibility of tornadoes, power outages and flash floods across the region Tuesday afternoon and into the evening. “Today is the day to hit home messaging about safety and making preparations,” Julie Lesko, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, wrote in a message to local meteorologists and emergency managers Monday. “Having a place to shelter at work, school, or home. Making sure to have emergency supplies ready.” Damaging winds of up to 60 mph and tornadoes are the main potential threats. Hail greater than an inch in diameter is also possible.
nola.com
The areas most at risk include Baton Rouge and its immediate environs. Those areas, deemed “moderate risk,” face a 15% chance of tornadoes touching down. The New Orleans metro area is considered at “enhanced risk,” which is slightly lower on the weather service’s risk scale. There’s a 10% chance that a tornado will touch down in an enhanced risk area. Forecasters warn that wind damage could cause power outages, and they urge those in the risk areas to have more than one way to receive weather alerts. They also recommend having an emergency kit with flashlights and/or candles. “Knowing where you need to go in the event of a tornado warning is very important,” meteorologist Hannah Lisney said. “Given most people don’t have basements, that would be the most interior part of the house, in the lowest level away from windows.”
The weather service issuedd this warning
The National Weather Service announced Sunday that there was a “moderate risk” — the second-highest level of risk — for severe weather alert Tuesday. It’s rare for the agency to make such an announcement so far in advance. Since the so-called “Day 3 moderate risk alert” was created in 2001, just 17 of the alerts have been issued in the United States, according to Jacob Carstens, a meteorologist and graduate research assistant at Florida State University. This is the first such alert issued in two years, and the first ever issued in March. Be aware of the weather Tuesday. There Moderate Risk of Severe Weather (4/5) for our area. This is a very rare occurrence. All modes of severe weather will be possible. Don’t panic, but please don’t be complacent. Have multiple ways to receive warnings Tuesday. #mswx #lawx https://t.co/NzBQPvEcXz – NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) March 20, 2022 Heavy rainfall of 2-3 inches is also expected, with locally higher amounts possible. Flash flooding is most likely to occur along and north of the I-10/I-12 corridor, forecasters said.
We may see some wind and other effects.
Other hazards include gusts of up to 40 mph before and after the severe weather passes through, and rainfall rates that could reach 2-5 inches per hour. Tides may also be 1-2 feet above normal as the system passes through. The Federal Emergency Management Agency warns those in state and FEMA temporary housing units to charge their cellphones and use a weather radio to make sure they receive severe weather alert updates. FEMA housing residents should have a plan in case local emergency management officials say to evacuate. The severe weather and expected heavy rainfall is arriving while most of Louisiana is in some level of drought. According to the U.S. drought monitor published March 17, West Baton Rouge Parish is experiencing extreme drought, and the greater New Orleans area is experiencing moderate to severe drought. The weather system is expected to move through Baton Rouge around noon Tuesday, and to hit the greater New Orleans area between 3 and 7 p.m. The severe weather is expected to stay in New Orleans until 11 p.m.
We will be on the outer edge, which is good, but may see some rain and wind. I guess March is going out as a lion?
