20 inches of rain? Gulf coast warned for weekend

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC

New Orleans initiated emergency procedures on Thursday after forecasters warned that a weather system in the Gulf could dump up to 10 inches on the flood-prone city over the next five days, and up to 20 inches elsewhere across the Gulf.

"High wind, a lot of rain and it's going slow," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in describing the system. "That's not a good prescription for New Orleans."

The system is likely to be come a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center said Thursday, but even if it doesn't grow it will bring heavy rain.

"We've got a huge area of moisture, we've got a developing wind field ... we're probably going to see some tremendous rain amounts and the corresponding flooding that goes with that," NHC Director Bill Read told reporters in Miami.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44356786/ns/weather/

[Lone_Star_Dem]

1. Mother Nature has a twisted sense of humor.

Texas sits next door, a dry piece of tinder, and she sends a heavy rainstorm into the neighboring low-lying region prone to flooding.

[defendandprotect]

32. What would happen if you got a heavy rain -- is the ground hardened -- ?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

38. Oh, yeah, we'd have flash flooding

Which is what I think you're getting at? As it is now though, this time next year (they say without a TS or hurricane we wont' see any significant rain until sometime after Oct. 2012) we looking at not having drinking water.

In 2007 we had 18 inches of rain dropped in a 6 hour span. Yep, it was a disaster, but it was what it took to break our drought and fill our reservoirs.

No matter how you slice it, we're screwed.

[defendandprotect]

39. One problem creating a bigger problem --

Hope they are wrong and some gentle rain might come your way --

Don't even know if they still have a thriving cattle industry --

but imagine that and all vegetation would be in trouble --


:(

[defendandprotect]

2. K/R -- This is not an "America" which is in a position to respond -- morally or financially!!!

[sarcasmo]

8. Right on.

[Lorien]

10. So true

:-(

[slackmaster]

11. People who are capable of preparing themselves to survive and/or evacuate should do so now

And not count on America or the federal government or God or anyone else being able to save them in a timely manner.

[aquart]

20. OR we could tax the rich.

It is wrong of me to hope only mansions worth over $3 million are reduced to damp kindling.

[Synicus Maximus]

28. Why would you wish that on anyone?

[aquart]

34. I believe in shared sacrifice.

[defendandprotect]

31. From what I'm reading, the attacks on the pension funds over 20 years ....

may have something to do with Global Warming costs/losses for

elites over that period of time --

Someone else here who might have better grasp of this perhaps could comment on it ?

But, obviously Global Warming and its threat to humanity and planet is something

they don't want the public to know about at all costs.



ExxonMobil and oil industry is simply Mafia -- they should all be in jail!

[Little Star]

3. Yes. I think they are talking about Invest 93...

[Rowdyboy]

4. Its all because teh gays are having that wicked "Southern Decadence" this weekend in New Orleans...

God will smite them with rain to wash their sins away...or at least wash the beer off the streets

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. I think he's trying to clean up some of the smoke from that big marsh fire for the weekend bash

If I hear anyone imply differently, that's what I'm planning on coming back with.

[russspeakeasy]

16. Nope, it's because of the gays...

:evilgrin:

[Behind the Aegis]

7. So true. 6 years ago, it was Katrina, then three years ago Gustav.

I feel bad because as a former bartender in a gay bar on Bourbon Street, this is devastating! One can easily rack up 1K-4K in just five days. Even being a "beer wench" and selling beer out of the windows/doors of Oz or the Pub can get you some really great tips.

[Rowdyboy]

15. Comment withdrawn.....

Did not know the full extent of the weather when I laughed off the rain.

[Rowdyboy]

17. Have heard a full weather report since my last post. Its much worse than I had thought.....

[Avalux]

5. I really hope the system moves west towards Texas....PLEASE!

We need the rain so much but with our luck, it won't quite get here and will tease us all weekend.

Give New Orleans a break and come to Texas!!

[kentauros]

9. It doesn't look like that's the case.

This is a flash-loop of water-vapor for the Eastern U.S., but it shows all of Texas, and why I'm posting it:

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/eaus/flash-wv.html

There does appear to be some moisture rotating up from Mexico, so maybe we should hope for that instead :)

[Demeter]

14. Fascinating map! Thanks!

I was looking for this....

[kentauros]

18. You're welcome! :)

Here's the main site and the section for Atlantic and Caribbean Tropical Satellite Imagery

I use this site constantly!

[dixiegrrrrl]

33. Kudos to you!!! A great site, now added to my "weather" folder.

That water vapor loop is jaw dropping.

:applause: :applause:

[Glimmer of Hope]

21. What about the oil refineries? Is it too soon to tell whether those will get hit?

[kentauros]

25. First off, this isn't even a named storm yet.

It may become a Tropical Depression soon, but that's still relatively mild as far as winds go. The primary danger from a tropical depression is rain, and then flooding from that rain, especially if it stalls over the coast. Then it basically turns into a pump, picking up moisture from the Gulf and dumping it on land.

Refineries on the coasts take these types of situations into consideration when they are located and then built. If a storm appears threatening enough, they begin to shut things down. A "shutdown" can take a day or more to complete, because a refinery is essentially one big machine, albeit consisting of hundreds of smaller machines. Many processes are going on in them and if they don't shut it down properly or slow enough, then things can go 'wrong'. However, no need to worry about that because while the company will be losing money with their refinery shut down for a week or so, that's not as bad as it being out of commission for months due to a bad shutdown process. They make very sure that kind of thing doesn't happen.

So, I suspect those that will be most affected by this storm are either in the process of shutting down, or already have done so.

[Glimmer of Hope]

27. Thanks for the information and the NOAA links !

The last thing this country needs is higher oil prices.

[kentauros]

29. You're welcome :)

Remember, though, that gas prices are pretty well determined by the speculators. They'll "say" it's the weather or a disaster, or anything but the fact that they're fickle and it's all arbitrary anyway. It's beyond me how they really determine gas prices...

[dipsydoodle]

24. Keep an eye on this link too

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

and stay safe over there.

[dixiegrrrrl]

35. I like how clear and sharp the state lines are on the satellite pic.

:evilgrin:
( some of you may get this reference)

[SkyDaddy7]

12. I thought Rick Perry solved the Rain issue...

With the ultimate tool...PRAYER!!! :sarcasm:

Seriously, I wish you guys could get some rain but it looks like the system is going to pass you bye.

[kentauros]

19. Rick Parry is indeed the Ultimate Tool

}(

[Maine-ah]

23. I would think with the dry conditions

that the soil in Texas couldn't handle it, and you would see a lot of damage.

[kentauros]

26. One of my big concerns right now

isn't so much that the soil is too dry to soak up anything (that is a concern, too) but that with all this shifting the ground has been doing of late, that it's affected the storm sewers. I've seen (and driven on) plenty of roads that are cracking, dropping and shifting from the dried up soil, which is also the cause of all of our water main breaks. If it's breaking the water pipes, what about the storm and sanitary sewer pipes?

Storm water in Houston doesn't go into the sanitary sewer system like for some cities because we normally would get way too much storm water and end up inundating the sanitary system. But both are likely being affected, too, and I hope that when we get heavy rains that the storm sewers don't leak and wash themselves out.

[rocktivity]

13. It will put out that brush fire, at least.

x(
rocktivity

[FLPanhandle]

22. Yep, lots of wind and rain all weekend.

So much for boating. Luckily college football will be on.

[Baclava]

37. Nice and cool 77 this morning - looks like a week long drizzle

Sorry Texas. We got your rain

[Marnie]

30. But this could end the drough and drop temps out of

the hundred+ range for much of the agricultural south and lower plains.

It is always hurricane season that breaks the breadbasket's summer drought and scorching heat.

We just don't want anybody to get hurt along the way and some times they do. But that is the way the end of the summer works in the south central and south east US. Just like it begins with torrential storms and tornado season. Always has.

In the late 50's or very early 60's some bright bureaucrat suggested seeding hurricane clouds to get them to drop their rain over the Gulf. The wheat farmers and cattle ranchers of the lower plains hollered loud and clear. They needed that rain so they could produce the food we eat.

The food producers won that discussion.

[dipsydoodle]

36. Louisiana declares emergency as storm brews

Louisiana has declared a state of emergency as it prepares for a tropical depression to bring up to 15in (38cm) of rain over the weekend.

Tropical Depression 13 - to be named Lee if upgraded, as expected, to a tropical storm - is creeping north through the Gulf of Mexico.

Offshore platforms for Exxon Mobil, BP and Shell were shut down on Thursday.

While the storm could spell flooding for parts of the Gulf, it could also bring much-needed rain to Texas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14757930

see also : http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?5-daynl#contents

[girl_interrupted]

40. Stay safe Louisiana!

Sending good thoughts to you!

[malletgirl02]

41. Tropical Storms

Thank you OP for posting this. Everyone needs to know that "mere" tropical storm can be very dangerous. The main danger from Lee will most likely be inland flooding.