Over 23 Inches of Rain Triggers Historic Flash Flooding, River Flooding In Parts of the South

[kentauros]

Over 23 Inches of Rain Triggers Historic Flash Flooding, River Flooding In Parts of the South (FORECAST)
Quincy Vagell
Published: March 11, 2016

This multi-day heavy rain saga, which has dumped up to almost two feet of rain in parts of the South, is still triggering destructive flash flooding, river and lake flooding. But there is a light at the end of this wet tunnel.

Unfortunately, locally heavy rain will continue into Saturday across parts of the South, after having already smashed March records, triggering major flash flooding and worsening river flooding in parts of Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi.

Over 13 inches of rain fell Thursday night into Friday morning, prompted evacuations of 50 residents near Hammond, Louisiana, northwest of New Orleans. A building collapsed and a road washed out at the Washington Parish fairgrounds in Franklinton, Louisiana.

Numerous roads were flooded and closed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, evacuations were prompted in Petal and Seminary, Mississippi, and a bridge collapsed in Laurel, Mississippi.

First, here are the highest storm-total rainfalls as of Friday morning, from both official observing stations and cooperative observers:
Near Monroe, Louisiana: 23.22 inches
Near Swartz, Louisiana: 22.25 inches
Bossier City, Louisiana (Barksdale AFB): 18.02 inches
Near Minden, Louisiana: 17.26 inches
Near Hemphill, Texas: 16.80 inches
Near Crossett, Arkansas: 14.46 inches
Near Clarksdale, Mississippi: 12.55 inches
Near Longview, Texas: 12.03 inches

Just so y'all know what's going on elsewhere in the country that's just as important

[LiberalArkie]

1. Yep, it is kind of damp here in central Arkansas

[kentauros]

2. Same here, in Houston.

It even rained a little more last night, but the radar is clear now. For the moment.

[LiberalArkie]

4. It is still raining here, with rain predicted until Monday.

[SheilaT]

3. Some years ago in a different part of the country,

we received 6-10 inches of rain in about three hours. Needless to say there was some flooding locally. The thing that impressed me the most was that the ground was now so saturated that for the entire rest of the summer every time it rained even a small amount, that water just flowed off the ground.

And that was less than any of the amounts you posted.

[kentauros]

5. I've seen it do that here as I live next to a power right of way.

Plus, we've got a heavy clay subsoil not too far below the surface (or right at it if there hasn't been enough plant decay to build anything up.) Sheet flow is what I think they call it.

2-3" per hour is one heavy dourpour! I haven't seen that in a while. Usually only from stalled tropical systems.