Widespread flooding that prompted Louisiana’s governor to declare a state of emergency continues to cause problems Tuesday.
Several streets in New Orleans were already impassable as were roadways in St. Charles Parish.
Overnight, a flash flood emergency was issued for the southeast Baton Rouge area, where radar estimated up to a foot of rain had fallen.
1102p – Radar estimating 10-12″ of rain in parts of southern East Baton Rouge Parish as well as Western Ascension & far eastern Iberville. Have also seen several home weather stations offering ground truth to those estimates. Flash flood warnings remain in effect. #lawx pic.twitter.com/8N6xudAvsJ
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) May 18, 2021
Officials said first responders made more than 250 water rescues in East Baton Rouge Parish alone.
St. George Fire Department crews rescued several people who drove into high water.
The department also used boats to evacuate residents of the Siegen Calais apartments after floodwater entered first-floor apartments and swamped cars in the parking lot.
HAPPENING NOW: The St George Fire Department is evacuating everyone from the Siegen Calais apartments off Siegen Lane near Winn Dixie. The complex flooded, with cars and apartments on the first floor taking in water. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/CFPjCsJdZS
— Nadeen Abusada (@NadeenAbusada) May 18, 2021
Water also flowed into homes in Gonzales, southeast of Baton Rouge.
East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome issued a disaster declaration about 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Related product: Protect your home from lightning with this great surge protector
The flooding also has forced a stretch of Interstate 10 south of Baton Rouge from Highland Road to Siegen Lane to close. It remained closed Tuesday.
More than 15,000 homes and businesses were without power in East Baton Rouge Parish on Tuesday morning.
Neighborhood behind St. George Catholic. @CentralFireDept was conducting water rescues while I was there…told me they had already rescued about 20 and still had roughly 10 left. #LAwx pic.twitter.com/3UGzzJglhX
— Steve Caparotta, Ph.D. (@SteveWAFB) May 18, 2021
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Monday after flooding across the southwest corner of the state.
Extensive flooding was reported throughout Lake Charles, which is still trying to recover from major damage caused by hurricanes Laura and Delta last year and an ice storm in February.
A father picking up his kids from school using a kayak on flooded Common St. in Lake Charles, Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/zb4RkBRx4S
— Jeremy Babineaux (@jeremybabs) May 17, 2021
More than a foot of rain was recorded at the airport, while nearly 18 inches was reported southwest of the city.
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said the flooding affected hundreds of homes, some of which were damaged in last year’s hurricanes.
“The amount of flooded homes in the city is not determined yet but will absolutely be in the hundreds,” Hunter told The Advocate, “and I believe we will have more homes flooded in the city of Lake Charles from this rain event than we had from Laura and Delta.”
The resident of this home in Lake Charles said they had to swim to safety with their newborn as the water keeps rising. Contraband Bayou is flooding many areas that have never seen water before. ? Lexi Theriot #lawx pic.twitter.com/MrhyHdPv5v
— Zack Fradella (@ZackFradellaWx) May 17, 2021
Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service Office in Lake Charles declared a flash flood emergency in eastern Calcasieu and western Jefferson Davis parishes.
Video from KD’s Diner in Lake Charles showed water sloshing around patrons’ ankles.
Related product: Protect your home from flooding with this great pump
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office asked residents to stay off the roads.
“CPSO has deployed high water vehicles and boats on both sides of the parish and are we prepared to handle any flood-related call we receive,” Sheriff Tony Mancuso said in a Facebook post. “We are urging all residents to be vigilant and keep an eye on the evolving weather situation. We are also urging residents to stay put and DO NOT travel on the roadways; driving on the roadways at this time is putting yourself in danger, along with causing damage to other residents’ property from the rising water.”
Flooding and giant hail in Texas
In Fannett, Texas, water was entering homes. Reports near the town showed as much as 18 inches of rain had fallen.
Report from Green Acres Grocery in Fannett. Approximately 13″ of rain today, 7″ in the last hour. Water is rising into nearby homes. #flooding https://t.co/8r1648WSMr pic.twitter.com/PbkrAxxcEw
— Chad Sandwell (@Chad4caster) May 17, 2021
Outside of Lumberton, a school bus was stranded in standing water after its rear wheels got stuck in a culvert.
About 48 miles to the northeast in Jasper, U.S. Highway 98 was closed when Sandy Creek overflowed its banks and spread across the roadway. It remained closed until almost 1:30 p.m. CDT.
Related product: Protect your car from hail
County Judge Mark Allen told the Beaumont Enterprise all major roads in-and-out of Jasper were largely impassable, along with some county roads. He said homes and businesses also were flooded.
All of Jasper’s schools closed Monday and buses could not run. Parents were asked to pick up their children.
Police in Tyler closed Douglas Boulevard as water rose there, threatening to flood cars parked along the street.
Residents in Snyder were hit by giant softball size hail, destroying car windshields and windows.
During last major Texas storm end of April 2021, the stones were so large that they went through the roofs…
Ruby said the storm rolled into town around 8:00 Sunday night and the sounds were hard to ignore.
It just kept going, ‘pow, pow, pow,’ constantly, reported residents. [Bryan Frisk Facebook, Big Country Homepage, Weather, Accuweather]
Just keep in mind it is tornado and hail season in Texas and Louisiana right now… But this is one of the worst in history… for Texas, at least, I would say…
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If you want to know what softball sized hail damage looks like, then look at the backside of stacy abrams.
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THE CHEMTRAIL JETS ,cristcrossed the sky here in colorado for days,back and forth over the rocky mountains till all the snow was gone,THEN THE BAD STORMS CAME,we knew they would,THE CHEMTRAIL JETS are always the ones who bring the bad weather,MAYBE THE GOVERNOR SHOULD ORDER THE NATIONAL GUARD TO SHOOT THEM DOWN,OH that’ll never happen,the people love Floods and hail…
Watch the Cajun Navy rescue people and animals. Those guys kick ass!