Millions in southern states, who are still struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Ida, are under flash flood watches Thursday as Post-Tropical Cyclone Nicholas threatens to bring even more rain in the coming days.
The storm was hovering over the central Louisiana coast, according to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center on Thursday.
The Louisiana Coast and portions of the Central Gulf Coast are most at risk for flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center tweeted around5 pm on Thursday.
Since it made landfall in Southern Texas early Tuesday morning, Nicholas has been downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical depression as its initial 75 MPH winds slowed.
As it weakened, the storm dumped rain on parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The storm became a post-tropical depression with winds reached 25 MPH on Thursday morning.
As of Thursday morning, the storm hovers near Marsh Island along the central Louisiana coast, according to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center
Cars attempting to traverse deep floodwaters caused by post-tropical depression Michael on Virginia Commonwealth University campus in Richmond on Thursday
Since it made landfall in Southern Texas early Tuesday morning, Nicholas has been downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical depression as its initial 75 MPH winds slowed
The intense rain pour could produce life-threatening flash floods in parts of southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle. The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches in these areas. Pictured are floodwaters overtaking cars at Louisiana State University on Thursday
The Louisiana Coast and portions of the Central Gulf Coast are most at risk for flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center tweeted around 5 pm on Thursday.
As it weakened, Nicholas dumped rain on parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The storm became a post-tropical depression with winds reached 25 MPH on Thursday morning
Since it made landfall in Southern Texas early Tuesday morning, Nicholas has been downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical depression as its initial 75 MPH winds slowed
Now, although the weather system has slowed, roughly five million in those regions are at risk for flash flooding.
The intense rain pour could produce life-threatening flash floods in parts of southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle. The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches in these areas.
'Considerable flash flooding impacts, especially in urban areas, are possible across these regions,' the National Weather Service said Thursday.
Forecasters warned that people along the central Gulf Coast could expect up to 20 inches and tropical storm strength winds through Friday in places across the region still recovering from Category 4 hurricanes - Ida weeks ago and Laura last year.
From there, the storm is expected to slowly move northward over the next 48 hours into southern Arkansas, then dissipate on Saturday.
'There is a mass of dry air to the north that is moving in from the west, which will help suppress some of the rainfall in northern Louisiana over into portions of northwest Mississippi and west Tennessee,' said CNN meteorologist Michael Guy.
'However, central and southern Louisiana could still see rain and storms through Friday, some of which could cause heavy downpours.'
Lousiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned residents to take the threat seriously, although Nicholas is no longer the hurricane that made landfall in Texas on Tuesday.
'This is a very serious storm, particularly in those areas that were so heavily impacted by Hurricane Ida,' Edwards said.
Heavy rain is also predicted for Georgia the Carolinas on Thursday.
