Alexandria, La. (Sept. 13, 2021) — Forecasts from the National Weather Service indicate Tropical Storm Nicholas is expected to move through the central Louisiana area bringing heavy rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday as well as lingering rain throughout the week. The storm is expected to make landfall near Corpus Christi, Texas, Monday night and then slowly drift toward central Louisiana.
“Unlike Ida, which passed to our east allowing us to miss the brunt of the wind and rain, this storm is forecast to make landfall to our west and drift this way, which means we can expect to see heavy rains locally Tuesday and Wednesday as it passes through,” said Alexandria Mayor Jeffrey W. Hall. “Our crews are working now to get ready, and we encourage residents to prepare for up to 6-8 inches of rainfall this week, with the bulk of that rain falling Tuesday and Wednesday.”
City crews are working to clear drains and pick up tree debris ahead of the storm. Officials ask residents to refrain from placing any additional green waste, furniture or debris at the curb this week as it could clog storm drains. Household garbage pickup is currently expected to proceed as scheduled this week.
The primary threat from Tropical Storm Nicholas is heavy rain which could result in flash flooding. Workers are pre-placing traffic barricades at locations that are known to experience street flooding during heavy rains. Drivers are reminded not to drive around barricades and to never attempt to drive into high water. Officials also recommend people in low-lying, flood-prone areas keep fueled up vehicles on high ground accessible to an evacuation route should flooding occur.
