Cristobal’s storm surge rises above prediction in Bay, Waveland. When will it recede?
Excessive rainfall and winds from Tropical Storm Cristobal made for a higher storm surge than predicted in Bay St. Louis and Waveland, National Weather Service meteorologists said Sunday.
During a press conference streamed on Facebook Live, NWS meterologists said the constant rain and 40-45 mph wind gusts associated with the tropical storm contributed to a 5-and-a-half feet reading at the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club.
Flooding from storm surge was originally predicted to be 3-to-5 feet from the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs.
Cristobal officially made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana about 5 p.m., but the storm’s bands are still pushing rain across the Coast. A flash flood warning is in effect for the three Coastal counties until 7:30 p.m.
NWS said the heavy rains could produce “life-threatening” flooding if they don’t let up.
Flooding an issue into next week
The storm is moving north around 7 mph, but if the bands keep producing rain Hancock County could see 10 to 15 inches through Sunday night. And that has forecasters worried.
Excessive rain can create runoffs going into the Mississippi Sound, and that could cause more flooding.
“If that water’s still going up, that rain has no where to go, you’re definitely going to have some problems,” NWS officials said on the live stream.
NWS said the excessive rain could also affect river levels on the Coast, and flooding could potentially occur into next week.
When will water recede?
NWS said the storm surge in the Bay St. Louis area should not reach above 6 feet Monday.
“High tide has already occurred so this rise for the last 2 hours has been strictly due to wind,” NWS said. “Tides should slowly begin to fall.”
But the storm surge may not recede immediately.
The tides, NWS, are slowly falling and “may not fall much until after high tide tomorrow.”
Scene from Bay St. Louis, Waveland
Floodwaters took over U.S. 90 in Waveland early Sunday.
The roadway near the Waveland lighthouse and Coleman Avenue was impassable, as were parts of U.S. 90 in Bay St. Louis.
Hancock County emergency manager Brian Adam said many streets were flooded in low-lying areas before Cristoball made landfall.
Some waterfront communities in Bay St. Louis were flooded, videos from Twitter show.
This story was originally published June 7, 2020 at 6:15 PM.
