NEW ORLEANS — The heaviest rains forecast for New Orleans are coming Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting Mayor Mitch Landrieu to urge “everybody to stay home tomorrow out of an abundance of caution.”
Landrieu and other city officials gave a Harvey update Monday afternoon and said five-10 inches of rain are expected over the next few days. It comes the day before the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
“Although this is very difficult to deal with, small deviations in storm track or rain band intensity can lead to significant changes in impact,” Landrieu said.
The entire New Orleans metro area is under a flash flood watch through Thursday. There is potential for tornadoes as Tropical Storm Harvey continues churning along the Gulf Coast.
All public schools in Orleans Parish are closed Tuesday.
Sandbags are available in Orleans Parish at five locations:
- 987 Robert E. Lee Blvd.
- 2000 MLK Blvd.
- 4115 Woodland in Algiers
- 2118 Elysian Fields
- 5403 Read Boulevard
More than 38,500 sandbags have been distributed in New Orleans for the past few days, Landrieu said.
About 90 percent of the city’s pumps are functioning, he said, but the city is still at “diminished capacity” when it comes to drainage.
Since the Aug. 5 flood that exposed critical problems with the city’s drainage system, crews with the Department of Public Works have been working 24/7, Landrieu said. A pump at Station #6, which handles Lakeview, is down again, Landrieu said.
If you haven’t signed up for alerts from the city yet, you can do that online at or by calling 3-1-1. You can also get general info and report non-life threatening emergencies by calling 3-1-1. They’re open Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will be open 7 am to 7 pm starting Saturday, until further notice.
If you haven’t cleaned your catch basins yet, the city encourages you to do so. Click here for tips on how to do it.
Check for updates on Twitter @NOLAReady , and on Facebook @NOLAReady. You can also sign up here for NOLA Ready alerts, which will notify residents of emergency situations.
Here’s the full Monday afternoon update from city officials:
