Flash Flood — Orleans, Louisiana

2017-08-05 · near Vieux Carre, Orleans, Louisiana

Event narrative

Thunderstorms repeatedly developed over the same area of New Orleans from the mid afternoon into early evening producing 4 to 9 inches of rain during a 3 to 5 hour period. The rainfall overwhelmed the drainage system leading to widespread and deep street flooding. Many streets were impassable from the Mid City area to just north of the French Quarter and Central Business District, and road and highway underpasses were deeply flooded . Numerous automobiles were also damaged by the flooding. Water entered at least several hundred homes and a number of businesses, with estimates likely to increase as claims are processed.

Wider weather episode

A weaken frontal boundary along the Interstate 10 corridor in southeast Louisiana and south Mississippi along with local land-lake/sea breeze interaction aided in the development of thunderstorms producing heavy rain along this corridor on all 3 days. Reports of flash flooding were received from the New Orleans area on the 4th and 5th, and the Gulfport-Biloxi area on the 6th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (30.0091, -90.1165)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 713244. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.