Flooding swamps South with rare Flash Flooding Emergencies in Texas, New Orleans
A Flash Flood Emergency was issued through Wednesday afternoon for New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana. Flash flooding led to water rescues in East Texas.
Dangerous flooding inundating streets in New Orleans
The National Weather Service has extended a rare Flash Flood Emergency for New Orleans through Wednesday afternoon. FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray is reporting from New Orleans after more than 7 inches of rain fell since this morning.
NEW ORLEANS – Rainfall rates of 1 inch per hour or more caused rare Flash Flood Emergencies to be issued in East Texas and southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday with thunderstorms eventually dropping up to a foot of rain in some areas.
It was part of a severe weather outbreak that unfolded across the South with reported tornadoes, flash flooding, hail and damaging winds in the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast.
Flood alerts across the South.
(FOX Weather)
Early Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, issued a Flash Flood Emergency for parts of Jasper, Newton and Tyler counties in southeastern Texas, including Kirbyville and Newton, that lasted for hours.
A Flash Flood Emergency is the most severe flood alert that the NWS can issue. It means life-threatening flooding and catastrophic damage are already occurring or expected to occur soon.
"If a Flash Flood Emergency is called for your town, that’s the worst of the worst when it comes to flash flooding," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "It’s a very rare warning that is only given when there is a significant risk to loss of property and loss of life."
As the storm moved east and the heavy rain subsided in East Texas a new Flash Flood Emergency began unfolding in Louisiana.
The NWS New Orleans office issued a Flash Flood Emergency for New Orleans and Metairie until 3:45 p.m. CDT.
Watch: Water rises amid Flash Flood Emergency in New Orleans
Water is seen covering roads in New Orleans amid torrential rain that led to a rare Flash Flood Emergency on Wednesday morning.
A Flash Flood Warning continued on Wednesday afternoon for parishes along the Mississippi River, including Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Charles.
At 11 a.m. CDT, emergency managers reported numerous flooded and impassible roads around the city, and flash flooding was beginning. Radar indicated thunderstorms were producing heavy rain, with between 4.5 and 7.5 inches of rain already falling.
A rain gauge in LaPlace, within the New Orleans metro, recorded 7 inches of rain since Wednesday morning, with 9.89 inches falling over 24 hours. Several other areas in New Orleans recorded 6-7 inches of rain by early afternoon.
Multiple people rescued from flooding in Jasper County, Texas
In Jasper County, all major roads into Kirbyville were closed on Wednesday morning due to flooding. Jasper County Judge Mark Allen declared a local declaration of disaster due to the widespread dangerous weather conditions countywide.
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Image 1 of 5This photo shows flooding reported at Central Baptist Church Kirbyville on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. ( )
![This photo shows a car that was submerged in floodwaters at Central Baptist Kirbyville on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.]()
Image 2 of 5This photo shows a car that was submerged in floodwaters at Central Baptist Kirbyville on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. (Brian/Central Baptist Church Kirbyville)
![This photo shows a car that was submerged in floodwaters at Central Baptist Kirbyville on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.]()
Image 3 of 5This photo shows a car that was submerged in floodwaters at Central Baptist Kirbyville on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. (Brian/Central Baptist Church Kirbyville)
![Flooding seen on April 10, 2024 on Interstate 59 in Pearl River County, near Picayune, Mississippi.]()
Image 4 of 5Flooding seen on April 10, 2024 on Interstate 59 in Pearl River County, near Picayune, Mississippi. (Image: Mississippi Highway Patrol Biloxi) (MHP)
![Flash Flooding in Slidell, Louisiana]()
Image 5 of 5Flash flooding in Slidell, Louisiana on April 10, 2024. (Iris Campbell)
Multiple fire departments deployed from around the region to conduct water rescues in the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said rescue teams extricated several people from flooded homes and vehicles.
"The City of Kirbyville remains underwater and is still the major concern at this time," the sheriff's office said.
Kirbyville Mayor George Frank told FOX Weather he estimated about a foot of rain had fallen in the community near the Texas-Louisiana state line.
"I thought I'd seen everything when I saw Harvey," Frank said of the 2017 hurricane that made landfall in Texas.
Roganville fire truck submerged in floodwater as heavy rain pounds Texas
On Wednesday morning, volunteer firefighters from the Roganville, Texas, Fire Department responded to a high-water rescue. They had to wait for a front loader to pull them out of the floodwaters.
Frank said the volunteer swift-water rescue team helped stranded people, as both ends of Highway 96 were underwater.
"We were expecting some heavy rains, but nothing this major," Frank said.
Throughout Wednesday, radar estimated rain totals of 15.4 inches near Newton and 13.3 inches in Spurger. In 24 hours, Belton measured 7.60 inches.
(FOX Weather)
"Middle of the night water rushing into your home – that’s the reality for thousands of people across East Texas," Merwin said. "Of course, the direct impact is smaller than that number, but the entire town is being looked at. It’s a heartbreaking scenario."
Horses rescued in East Texas
A farmer rescued a group of horses from a flooded barn in eastern Texas on Wednesday after more than a foot of rain fell.
Video showed Jeff Muckleroy leading the horses out of the Kirbyville barn, which has been in the family for around 70 years.
Hannah Muckleroy Clark said her dad was simply being "The hero that he is."
The National Weather Service had issued a Flood Warning for the region, and Muckleroy pledged he wouldn't leave until all the horses were accounted for.
Horses rescued from floodwaters in East Texas
A man rescued a group of horses from a flooded barn in eastern Texas on Wednesday after more than 13" of rain fell
South goes from drought to rain surplus
The FOX Forecast Center said repeated rounds of storms capable of torrential rain will continue to roll through the Southeast through Thursday.
Year to date rainfall across the South.
(FOX Weather)
The storms moving through Texas and Louisiana on Wednesday are tapping into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and dropping rain at over 2 inches per hour.
The flooding rain comes as the South is already between 5 and 8 inches of rain above average for the year.
A map showing a timeline of how Louisiana's drought conditions have improved by four categories since December 2023 to April 2024, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data.
(FOX Weather)
The deluge of rain is a turnaround from four months ago when Louisiana faced exceptional drought conditions, causing widespread economic impacts to the region. As of this week, only parts of Mississippi and Louisiana are facing abnormally dry conditions, the least-severe level on the U.S. Drought Monitor.