000 WGUS84 KLIX 250327 FLSNEW LAC005-007-033-037-047-051-057-063-071-075-077-087-089-091-093-095- 103-105-109-117-121-125-MSC005-045-047-059-109-113-147-157-250930- FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA 1030 PM CDT TUE SEP 24 2002 A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS... IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI... WILKINSON...AMITE...PIKE...WALTHALL...PEARL RIVER... HANCOCK...HARRISON AND JACKSON COUNTIES. IN EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA... WEST FELICIANA...EAST FELICIANA...SAINT HELENA...POINT COUPEE... WEST BATON ROUGE...EAST BATON ROUGE...LIVINGSTON...IBERVILLE... ASCENSION...ASSUMPTION...SAINT JAMES...SAINT JOHN... TANGIPAHOA...WASHINGTON...SAINT TAMMANY...TERREBONNE... LAFOURCHE...SAINT CHARLES...JEFFERSON...PLAQUEMINES...SAINT BERNARD AND ORLEANS PARISHES. THE LATEST RADAR IMAGERY INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF TROPICAL SHOWERS ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. THIS AREA WAS MOVING NORTHWEST AROUND TROPICAL STORMS ISIDORE. THROUGH TONIGHT... MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD INLAND. ABOUT 4 TO 5 INCHES OF RAINFALL OCCURRED IN GRAND ISLE TODAY. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WATCH AREA WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS SOUTH OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN TO COASTAL MISSISSIPPI THROUGH THURSDAY. HERE ARE A FEW FLOODING SAFETY TIPS... BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED... ACT QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS...ABANDON IT AND SEEK HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. RAPIDLY RISING WATER MAY ENGULF YOUR VEHICLE AND ITS OCCUPANTS AND SWEEP THEM AWAY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL FLOOD SITUATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LIX (ALL LOWER CASE).