2016 Louisiana floods

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2016 Louisiana floods
Louisiana parishes that were heavily affected by the 2016 floods.
DateAugust 12, 2016 (2016-08-12) – present
LocationMost of southern Louisiana
Deaths11

The 2016 Louisiana floods started on August 12 following an abundance of rainfall in South Louisiana, resulting in the loss of thousands of homes. Governor John Bel Edwards called the disaster a "historic, unprecedented flooding event" and declared a state of emergency.[1] Many rivers and waterways, particularly the Amite and Comite rivers, reached record levels and rainfall exceeded 20 inches (510 mm) in multiple parishes. Due to the large number of homeowners without flood insurance that were affected, the federal government is helping with the response through FEMA.

Meteorological history

A map of radar-estimated rainfall accumulations across Louisiana between August 9 and 16, 2016; areas shaded in white indicate accumulations in excess of 20 in (510 mm).

Early on August 11, a mesoscale convective system flared up in southern Louisiana around a weak area of low pressure that was situated to an outflow boundary. It remained nearly stationary, and as a result, torrential downpours occurred in the areas surrounding Baton Rouge and Lafayette. Rainfall rates of up to 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) an hour were reported in the most deluged areas. Totals exceeded nearly 2 feet (61 cm) in some areas as a result of the system remaining stationary.[2] Accumulations peaked at 31.39 inches (797 mm) in Watson, just northeast of Baton Rouge.[3]

By August 13, a flash flood emergency was issued for areas along the Amite and Comite Rivers.[4]

Flood event

An 18 wheeler abandoned on Interstate 12 during the 2016 Louisiana floods.

Flooding began in earnest on August 12. Many rivers and waterways, particularly the Amite and Comite rivers, reached record levels. Near Pierre Part, the Amite River crested 6-foot (1.8 m) above the previous record and nearly 4-foot (1.2 m) above the previous record in Denham Springs. Nearly one-third of all homes—approximately 15,000 structures—in Ascension Parish were flooded after a levee along the Amite River was overtopped.[5] Water levels began to slowly recede by August 15, though large swaths of land remained submerged.[6] Livingston Parish was one the hardest hit areas; an official estimated that 75 percent of the homes in the parish were a "total loss."[7] It was thought over 40,000 homes were damaged in Louisiana.[7]

Eleven people died due to the floods.[8] Confirmed reports include three in East Baton Rouge Parish, and two in both Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes.[9]

Evacuations and rescues

The widespread flooding stranded tens of thousands of people in their homes and vehicles. At least 20,000 people were evacuated by local law enforcement, firefighters, the Louisiana National Guard, the Coast Guard and fellow residents, from submerged vehicles and flooded homes.[5][9] A group of 70 volunteers from St. Bernard Parish conducted hundreds of boat rescues in East Baton Rouge Parish.[6] By August 15, approximately 11,000 people sought refuge in 70 shelters.[9] Flash flooding swamped a 7-mile (11 km) section of Interstate 12 between Tangipahoa Rarish and Baton Rouge, stranding 125 vehicles. At one point, an approximate 62 mile stretch was closed due to flooding concerns. State police and the National Guard utilized high-water vehicles to rescue trapped motorists, but many remained stuck for over 24 hours.[4] A cellular network outage complicated rescues over the affected area.[9]

Aftermath

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards called the disaster a "historic, unprecedented flooding event" and declared a state of emergency.[10] Local government offices were closed in 27 of the state's 64 parishes.[9] The federal government also provided assistance.[11][12][13] President Barack Obama declared Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes as federal disaster areas.[9] An estimated 1,500 Red Cross volunteers traveled to Louisiana.[14] Meanwhile, singer Taylor Swift donated US$1 million to Louisiana's relief fund.[15][16][17]

References

  1. ^ Crisp, Elizabeth. "Gov. John Bel Edwards declares state of emergency for entire state because of severe weather". Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  2. ^ "WPC Surface Analysis North America". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  3. ^ Pam Wright (August 15, 2016). "Louisiana Flood By the Numbers: Tens of Thousands Impacted". The Weather Channel. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Nearly 24 hours later, motorists still stranded on I-12". WWL-TV. Tenga. August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Death Toll Rises to 7 in Historic Louisiana Flooding; 20,000 Rescued". Weather Channel. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Michale Kunzelman and Melinda Deslatte (August 15, 2016). "Thousands Hunker Down After Louisiana Floods; 6 Killed". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Michael Kunzelman (August 16, 2016). "Louisiana governor: 40K homes damaged by historic flooding". Yahoo! News. AP. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  8. ^ Robertson, Campbell (August 16, 2016). "As Louisiana Floodwaters Recede, the Scope of Disaster Comes Into View". New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Christine Hauser (August 15, 2016). "Louisiana Floods Lead to 7 Deaths". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  10. ^ Crisp, Elizabeth. "Gov. John Bel Edwards declares state of emergency for entire state because of severe weather". Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  11. ^ "President Obama Signs Louisiana Disaster Declaration". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  12. ^ Robertson, Campbell. "Thousands Displaced in Storm-Drenched Louisiana". New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  13. ^ Cordova, Elisabeth Butler (August 12, 2016). "Flash floods ravage Gulf Coast states as storms dump hard rain". Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  14. ^ Ben Lockhart (August 15, 2016). "Red Cross: Utah's volunteer response to Louisiana flooding to be largest since 2012". Deseret News. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  15. ^ "Taylor Swift gives $1m to help Louisiana flood relief efforts". The Guardian. August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  16. ^ "Taylor Swift Donates $1 Million for Flood Relief". The Hollywood Reporter. August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  17. ^ Delbyck, Cole (August 17, 2016). "Taylor Swift Writes Million-Dollar Check To Louisiana After Devastating Floods". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
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