Flood warnings and watches remained in effect on Tuesday for parts of the south-central USA following a day of torrential rain that left streets and houses flooded and cars stranded. According to the National Weather Service, over 30 million people are threatened by flooding this week throughout Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. It was an event Accuweather touted as "historic."
Rain, Flooding in Louisiana
Residents in southern Louisiana were bracing for more rain on Tuesday following heavy downpours, swamped cars, and the closing of a major interstate. Lake Charles was hammered once again by nature's anger in a coastal zone still recuperating from consecutive hurricanes last autumn and a deep freeze in February.
According to the National Weather Service, South Lake Charles in western Louisiana witnessed 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) of downpour for 12 hours on Monday. Elsewhere in the parish, about 10 inches (25 centimeters) fell. According to East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, as the rain moved east, about 13 inches (33 centimeters) of rain fell overnight in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Continuous rain has brought upon fatal flash flooding and a state of emergency throughout Louisiana. Governor John Bel Edwards announced a state of emergency on Monday as rounds of extreme rain, isolated tornadoes, and thunderstorms threatened the southwestern part of Louisiana.
In Baton Rouge, the fire department responded to over 300 calls overnight. These were from people trapped in homes or cars that were starting to get flooded, reported WWAY 3.
According to AccuWeather meteorologist Adam Sadvary, "Rounds of rain and thunderstorms have inundated much of the south-central US since Monday, especially for many in Texas and Louisiana, and relief is not expected until late this week." Louisiana was hit particularly hard on Monday. A flash flood emergency was announced overnight by the weather service for the southeast Baton Rouge area on Monday. Up to a foot of rainfall was estimated to have poured on Baton Rouge, reported USA Today.
The waters by Tuesday had largely receded. However, more rain is expected throughout the region this week. The condition is mind-boggling, according to Lake Charles resident Patrick King. He was at a car rental office on Tuesday when his truck on Monday was flooded. He has yet to move back into his house after it got flooded during Hurricane Delta. However, he had recently had new furniture delivered to his home when it flooded again.
According to Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter on Tuesday, "We are a very resilient people. We are a very strong population. But, you know, eventually you do kind of get to a point where you ask Mother Nature: What more can you do to us?" reported US News.
Photographs and videos circulating online displayed local streets turned into rivers. This forced drivers to abandon their cars. Other people traveled by boat.
A person died in a car accident in Port Allen. Another individual is missing following their car crashing into a canal on Monday night, stated Louisiana State Police.
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