June 9, 2020
Cristobal Continues to Bring Heavy Rain and Flooding Risk, Set Record For Earliest Third Named Storm in a Season
Cristobal is moving across the Midwest and western Great Lakes today, bringing heavy rain and high winds. Flooding is possible in areas that receive the heaviest rainfall. Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center said up to 15 inches of rain could fall in some areas, and could cause significant river flooding across the mid and upper Mississippi Valley. Isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts are possible. Cristobal or its remnants are expected to pass over Wisconsin and even into parts of Canada, places that seldom experience tropical storm activity. When Cristobal formed last week, it became the third named storm of the season. It’s the earliest a third storm has ever formed, making the season an already active one. In an average season, the third named storm arrives by August 13, according to the National Hurricane Center. Read the articles at The Weather Channel, NBC News, and CNN.
June 8, 2020
Tropical Storm Cristobal Makes Landfall, Brings Flash Flooding and Possibility of River Flooding
Cristobal made landfall yesterday afternoon as a tropical storm in Louisiana, between the mouth of the Mississippi River and the barrier island community of Grand Isle. At landfall Cristobal had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, well under hurricane strength, and it began quickly weakening and was downgraded to a tropical depression as of this morning. However, it brought heavy rainfall that resulted in flash flooding and the possibility of river flooding.
On the forecast track, the center of Cristobal should move through northeastern Louisiana today, through Arkansas and eastern Missouri tonight and Tuesday, and reach Wisconsin and the western Great Lakes by Wednesday. Cristobal is expected to produce storm total rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches across portions of the central and eastern Gulf Coast into the Lower Mississippi Valley, with isolated amounts to 15 inches. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches with local amounts to 6 inches are expected across portions of the Mid to Upper Mississippi Valley and Northern Plains near and in advance of Cristobal. This rainfall has led to flash flooding and forecast isolated significant river flooding across portions of the central Gulf Coast into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Smaller streams across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi have begun to rise and are forecast to crest mid-week. New and renewed significant river flooding is possible across the Mid and Upper Mississippi Valley.
Read more at the National Hurricane Center.
WaterISAC will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as necessary. It stands ready to assist members with any unmet needs and can be contacted at [email protected] and at (866)H2O-ISAC.
For members who are reviewing and readying their hurricane response plans for Cristobal or potential, future tropical storms, WaterISAC reminds them of FEMA’s recently released COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance for the 2020 Hurricane Season. Discussed in the May 21 Security and Resilience Update, this document provides guidance, checklists, and resources to help emergency managers adapt their response and recovery plans given the unique challenges posed to disaster operations by the COVID-19 pandemic.
