Heavy Southern Rain Leads To Flooding With Some Places Picking Up Over 20 Inches

Follow Meteorologist D.J. Kayser on Twitter (@dkayserwx) or on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).

A combination of a slow moving upper-level low and a surface low that formed this weekend with moisture and energy from the remnants of Patricia helped bring over a half a foot of rain to parts of Texas and Louisiana over the past few days. Some parts of Texas even picked up over 20″ of rain in just a matter of 3-5 days. We will see more heavy rain across parts of the Gulf Coast today, with heavy rain spreading north into the middle of the work week.

Heavy Rain Totals

After heavy rain fell across the region in May and early June, we haven’t had much rain across portions of the southern Plains until the past few days. Rain totals in some areas were greater than a half a foot from last Tuesday through yesterday. The 7″+ in Dallas helps them move into the seventh wettest year on record with just over two months left to go. Meanwhile, the rainfall “winner” was southeast of the Metroplex, with over 20″ falling in Corsicana. As that rain moves east yesterday, the rain totals started climbing in parts of Louisiana, with many areas seeing over 5″ of rain over the weekend.

All this rain is of course leading to flooding across the region. The was the scene last night along Lakeshore Drive in Mandeville, LA – picture courtesy of the Mandeville Police Department on twitter.

In New Orleans, all 8.67″ in the graphic above fell during the day Sunday – the first measurable rainfall (greater than a trace) this month. That help to shatter the October 25th rain record set back in 2002, but also helps October 25th, 2015, reach other parts of the record books. Yesterday now marks the wettest October day on record for the Big Easy, besting the previous record set in 2007. It also marked the fourth wettest day ever on record for the city. If the month were to have ended yesterday, the rainfall alone Sunday would have made October 2015 the fourth wettest October on record.

Heading up I-10 to Baton Rouge, they picked up 8.60″ during the day Sunday, also breaking the previous record for the day. It also helped Baton Rouge help set the wettest October Day on record and the fifth wettest ever day on record. The 10.72″ that Baton Rouge saw combined between Saturday and Sunday is the total amount of rain for the month so far. These last two days alone would make it the third wettest October on record if it had ended yesterday.

More Rain In The Forecast?

We will still be watching the potential for heavy rain across portions of the Southeast over the next couple days, with some areas from Alabama to Florida picking up another 3″+ of rain. Meanwhile, the low pressure system moves north, bringing 2″+ totals to parts of the Ohio Valley and toward the east coast of the United States through Thursday morning. Looking longer range (not shown on this map), we will be watching another storm system pushing toward the southern U.S. later this week, bringing the potential for a wet Halloween in parts of the South.

(CHECK OUT YOUR FORECAST: wx.aerisweather.com)

– Meteorologist D.J. Kayser