National Weather ServiceTropical Storm Cindy remains offshore, and much of Southwest Louisiana including Lafayette is still likely to see heavy rainfall and other effects, including tornadoes, from the storm as it moves up the Louisiana-Texas border then curves to the northeast.
According to the latest from the National Weather Service (10 a.m. Wednesday):
Satellite and radar imagery show shower and thunderstorm activity along the Gulf Coast. That stormy weather is located mainly to the north and east of the low-pressure center, which is over 150 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana.
Cindy is expected to move northwestward and approach the coasts of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas late Wednesday into Wednesday night, before moving inland near the Texas/Louisiana border Thursday.
Through Wednesday night: The biggest flood potential will be in the western Florida panhandle, southern Alabama, southern Mississippi, southern Louisiana and far southeast Texas. Life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding are both possible threats.
Thursday-Friday: Heavy rain from Cindy will continue along the Gulf Coast, but moisture from the storm will also begin to spread north and east ahead of a cold front arriving from the Midwest. This could contribute to locally heavy rain and flooding in parts of the lower-Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley and possibly the Appalachians.
Storm totals of 6 to 9 inches are expected in southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle through Thursday. Locally extreme rain amounts of 12-plus inches could occur in localized areas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches are possible through Friday from eastern Texas and western Louisiana northeastward to the lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley and Ohio Valley.
A high risk of rip currents is likely along parts of the Gulf Coast. High surf and some coastal flooding are also expected.
Inundation of 1 to 3 feet above ground level is possible along the coast in the tropical storm warning area, with isolated areas possibly up to 4 feet. The greatest impacts will be at times of high tide. Next high tides for select locations: Grand Isle, Louisiana (8:44 a.m. Thursday), Dauphin Island, Alabama (9:10 a.m. Thursday), Sabine Pass, Texas (3:41 a.m. and 12:41 p.m. Thursday).
Gusty winds are likely near parts of the northern Gulf Coast this week, particularly north and east of where the low tracks.
Isolated tornadoes are also possible through Wednesday from southern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. The potential for isolated tornadoes will focus on the lower Mississippi Valley on Thursday.