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WEATHER
Louisiana flooding (August 2016)

Developing storm puts sodden Gulf Coast on edge

Doyle Rice
USA TODAY

A tropical system in the Atlantic is threatening to prolong recovery for residents in flood-ravaged Louisiana, where thousands remain homeless after as much as 30 inches of rain fell on the area last week.

A weather system (red x) is forecast to develop into a tropical depression or hurricane in the red shaded area within the next five days.

"Most of the region is still pretty wet," said Donald Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist from the Lake Charles, La., office. "Any additional rainfall won't do us any favors."

More than 10 days after the first rains arrived, rivers in Louisiana remain several feet above flood stage, and the waters that caused catastrophic flooding and killed 13 people aren't likely to ebb completely anytime soon.

The hard-hit Vermilion River in Lafayette finally dropped below major flood stage — 16 feet above sea level — on Thursday morning for the first time in at least a week, Jones said. But the waterway will remain at flood stage — at least 10 feet above sea level —through at least Tuesday.

That could be around the same time a new system developing in the southwest Atlantic spins its way into the Gulf Coast.

There's a 70% chance the disorganized and and disheveled mass of clouds and thunderstorms, currently known as Invest 99L, could develop into Tropical Storm Hermine within the next five days, according to the National Hurricane Center. It could also potentially reach hurricane strength or dissipate completely.

After impacting Florida late this weekend, the storm could shift into the Gulf of Mexico, winding up anywhere from Texas to the Florida Panhandle by the middle of next week, said WWL-TV meteorologist Dave Nussbaum.

That would bring significant wind, rain and coastal flooding to the already sodden Gulf Coast. The current National Weather Service forecast calls for anywhere from 4 to 8 inches of rain along Florida and the Gulf Coast.

A tropical storm or hurricane right on the heels of Louisiana's historic flood would pose a challenge. Some of the thousands left homeless by last week's flooding in the Baton Rouge area took up residence in the town's hotels, meaning additional evacuations from a tropical storm or hurricane could be difficult, Nussbaum said.

Michael Steele, a spokesman with the Louisiana's office of homeland security and emergency preparedness, said his agency has already started conversations with local governments about storm preparations and will further ramp up plans in the coming days if the storm strengthens.

In the meantime, Florida officials are also keeping a wary eye on the storm, which could be only a few days away. If the storm gathers enough strength, it would be the first hurricane to strike the Florida Peninsula since Wilma in October 2005.

Until then, now is "a good idea to keep a close eye on the forecasts over the next several days, review your family emergency plan, and be sure your emergency supply kit is in good order," the weather service in Tallahassee advised.

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