Storm Surge/Tide — Lower St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

2024-09-11 to 2024-09-12 · Lower St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

Event narrative

Using a combination of MHHW data at Shell Beach as well as analysis from the storm surge unit, peak storm surge in lower St. Bernard was 2-4 feet above normally dry ground right along the coast of the parish. This resulted in minor to moderate flooding of some roads outside the HSDRRS levees.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Francine formed as a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico on September 9, 2024, and intensified into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall near Houma, Louisiana, on the morning of September 11. With sustained winds of 100 mph and gusts peaking at 105 mph, Francine brought widespread damage to southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi. A storm surge of 6-9 feet inundated low-lying coastal areas, while torrential rainfall of 10-15 inches caused significant flash flooding, including in the New Orleans metro area. Over 400,000 residents experienced power outages, and extensive wind damage was reported, with numerous trees and powerlines downed. There were a total of 6 direct injuries, 0 indirect injuries and 0 fatalities. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 18 ED visits for carbon dioxide exposure across various parishes in southeast Louisiana. In terms of dollar damage, the best estimate around $100 million but that could be very conservative as some online reports suggest much more than that.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1217848. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.