Hurricane Barry Moves North of New Orleans, as the City escapes Major flooding

Tropical Storm Barry did not cause major flooding in the Big Easy, and an alert for New Orleans has been cancelled. Mayor Cantrell held her last news conference on the storm, and the floodgates built after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, were reopened.

An alert from Thursday night:

Tropical Storm Barry is a currently active tropical cyclone that is threatening the Gulf Coast of the United States. The system emerged into the Gulf of Mexico on July 10 and was classified as a potential tropical cyclone later that day. Barry developed into a tropical storm on the next day, becoming the second named storm of the annual hurricane season.

From the Public Advisory at the Tropical Hurricane Center: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT2+shtml/111153.shtml?

At 1000 PM CDT (0300 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Barry was

located near latitude 28.6 North, longitude 91.0 West. Barry is moving toward the west-northwest near 3 mph (6 km/h). A motion toward the northwest should begin overnight, followed by a turn toward the north Saturday night or Sunday. On the forecast track,

the center of Barry will approach the south-central coast of Louisiana tonight and then make landfall along the south-central Louisiana coast on Saturday. After landfall, Barry is expected to move generally northward through the Mississippi Valley through Sunday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast before landfall, and Barry is expected to be a hurricane when the center reaches the Louisiana coast on Saturday. Weakening is expected after Barry moves inland.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km) from the center. An observation platform at South Timbalier Block off the coast of Louisiana has recently reported a sustained wind of 47 mph (76 km/h) with a gust to 59 mph (94 km/h).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 993 mb (29.33 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

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Key Messages for Barry can be found in the Tropical Cyclone

Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT2 and WMO header WTNT42 KNHC.

STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...

Intracoastal City to Shell Beach...3 to 6 ft

Shell Beach to Biloxi MS...3 to 5 ft

Lake Pontchartrain...3 to 5 ft

Biloxi MS to the Mississippi/Alabama border...2 to 4 ft

Lake Maurepas...1 to 3 ft

Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

RAINFALL: Barry is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 20 inches over south-central and southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches. These rains are expected to lead to dangerous, life threatening flooding over portions of the central Gulf Coast into the Lower Mississippi Valley beginning as early as Saturday morning. Across the remainder of the Lower Mississippi Valley, total rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected, with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches. By early next week, Barry is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches across western portions of the Tennessee Valley.

WIND: Hurricane conditions are expected in the Hurricane Warning area later tonight or Saturday, with tropical storm conditions currently spreading across the area. Hurricane conditions are possible within the Hurricane Watch area tonight or Saturday morning. Tropical storm conditions are occurring across the Tropical Storm Warning area in southeastern Louisiana at this time.

Tropical storm conditions are possible in the Tropical Storm Watch area by tonight or Saturday. Wind gusts to tropical-storm force in squalls are possible along portions of the coasts of Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle through Saturday night.