Flash flood warnings issued as heavy rain hits Louisiana and Mississippi
The National Weather Service (NWS) in New Orleans warned of "life-threatening" flash flooding in the area Saturday night through Sunday morning as heavy rain pounded southeast Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. In southeast Louisiana, more than 9,000 Entergy customers were without power Sunday morning, according to the company's outage map.
The NWS said Saturday night that rain was falling at a rate of 1-2 inches per hour.
The NWS' Slidell office says the flash flood warning will continue through 8:30 a.m. Sunday as strong storms with heavy rain and frequent lightning move through the area.
There were flash flood warnings earlier Saturday for parts of Texas, including Houston and Austin, as the storm moved northeast.
A train derailed north of Poplarville, Mississippi, due to high water, CBS affiliate WJTV reported. There were no injuries, but officials warned they had to rescue several drivers from high water around the Pearl River. Tornado warnings are also in effect for parts of Mississippi.
The National Weather Service said the Houston area saw about 1 to 3 inches of rain late Thursday and early Friday, with some places getting 3 to 6 inches. Those storms pelted the Houston area with golf-ball sized hail and flooded streets, leading to several high-water rescues.
Major flooding was forecast Saturday for the Trinity River northeast of Houston, and other waterways like the Neches River in East Texas also were overflowing.
Steady rain has lashed the broader Texas Gulf Coast region, the San Antonio area and much of North Texas, including Dallas and Fort Worth.
