Despite above-average rainfall, burn ban remains

Saturday’s late morning rain pushed at least northeast Bogalusa past the July monthly average. According to U. S. Climate Data, the July average for Bogalusa is 5.67 inches.

The rain started as a light shower about 10:45 a.m., but wound up as a full-fledged deluge before the morning was over.

By the time Saturday’s rainfall ended, 1.8 inches was in the rain gauge and 6.7 inches in the catch basin for the year. Then, on Sunday, about .25 inch fell, pushing the monthly total to 6.95 inches.

Thus far in northeast Bogalusa, there have been eight days in July with measurable precipitation and two days when a trace was recorded.

Despite the rainfall, which has been reported parish-wide, a burn ban remains in effect.

Because of the depth of the drought in the area, neither Washington Parish Homeland Security Director Tommy Thiebaud nor Bogalusa Fire Department Chief Richard Moody is willing to lift the burn ban.

“It’s just been too dry,” Moody said. “It may seem wet, but a fire can get out of control in a split second.”

Thiebaud said every shower and rain helps, but that until the state fire marshal lifts the ban, it will remain in effect in the parish.

“We can get to calls pretty quick,” Moody said, “but the firefighters in the parish sometimes have to drive a pretty good distance to get to the fire … so just because it seems safe in one place doesn’t mean it is in another.”

The National Weather Service forecast for the remainder of the week calls for a wetter than normal pattern with numerous occurrences of showers and thunderstorms expected, especially during daytime hours.

Locally heavy rainfall will remain a threat, although severe weather is not expected.

Thunderstorms dump 3 inches and more; more possible

Heavy thunderstorms moving southwest from Mississippi into Washington Parish dumped as much as 3 inches of rain in parts of Bogalusa.

At 6:30 p.m., the heaviest rains had passed through Bogalusa, leaving behind street flooding all across the city. In addition, some yards abutting Coburn Creek had water in them from the quick rise following the deluge.

In South Bogalusa, from about the point where Columbia Street intersects with Highway 21, there were also intermittent power outages from that point north until past Northshore Technical College.

Daytime heating created conditions perfect for the development of the thunderstorms, which resulted in the National Weather Service issuing a severe thunderstorm warning.

At 7:35, radar showed another line of thunderstorms stretching from west of Columbia to east of I-59. Those storms were tracking to the south/southwest with the strongest cells reaching Washington Parish about 9 p.m. and passing over Bogalusa about 9:30.

Measurable rainfall for the month of July in Bogalusa totaled 4.1 inches at 7:30 Wednesday evening, following .55 inches on July 2 and another .55 inches on July 5.

Heavy rain hits Bogalusa, some power outages

Water runs through low-lying portions of
a yard in Confederate Heights Subdivision,
on its way to Coburn Creek, as Saturday
night's thunderstorm eased after about an hour.
 (Photo by John H. Walker)

For the second day in a row, thunderstorms rolled through Washington Parish early Saturday evening, drenching some areas and leaving others with little more than a sprinkle.

"We probably got a half-inch or so here at the house," said Bogalusa resident John Gallaspy about 8:30 p.m. "We got some here at the house last night, but didn't get a drop five miles south of town, where we grow our watermelons."

The rain was generated by thunderstorms that developed with afternoon heating and began opening up about 7:30 p.m. Gusty winds from the west wind-whipped the rain, which covered yards and streets in parts of Bogalusa.

In the Confederate Heights Subdivision, yards were flooded and ditches were running bank-to-bank and better as estimates of one-inch of rain and more were given.

Elsewhere, traditional lowspots, such as Superior Avenue, had water covering the street in spots as did other streets in town.

Power was out along Highway 21 south of Bogalusa after a tree fell on a line. At about 10 p.m., crews were still working to restore service.

But to the west, in areas around Pine, Thomas and Franklinton, there were only occasional showers — despite the rumbling of thunder and flashes of lightning.

According to weatherbug.com, the official weather service of wpnewsblog, a chance for thunderstorms existed until about midnight.

Radar showed the first storm cells, moving from the northeast, hit Bogalusa about 7:15 p.m. and cleared the city about an hour later. Smaller pockets of light rain remained northeast of Bogalusa in Mississippi at 9 p.m. with heavy rainfall moving southeast from Lumberton, Miss. toward Washington Parish.

To view weatherbug.com's time-lapse camera, mounted at Bogalusa High School, visit http://weather.weatherbug.com/LA/Bogalusa-weather/weather-cams/local-cams.html?zcode=z6286&camera_id=BGLSB&camera_animate=1.

On Sunday, a heat advisory is in place with highs forecasted to reach 96 degrees. Isolated thunderstorms, some severe, have the potential to develop late in the afternoon.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Storms bring heavy rain, hail to Bogalusa

Washington Parish's dry spell was brought to a halt Thursday afternoon as a 70-mile long band of thunderstorms started moving through the parish.

Hail from Austin Street
(Photo by John H. Walker) 

In addition to rain, coming down in veritable sheets at time, hail up to one-half inch in size, peppered the Bogalusa and Varnado area about 4 p.m.

And while the rain was at its heaviest, a tornado was spotted west of Bush along Highway 40 — in the area of the Isabel Swamp cutoff. A second tornado was reported east of Bush and a third was reported in the Lacombe area, according to the National Weather Service.

The heavy rainfall overloaded Bogalusa's drainage system, although streets like North Border Drive, which traditionally took on more of a lake appearance than a street following rainfall of almost any amount, drained in a more normal fashion after city workers had cleared paths to and around drains.

One street that didn't drain well, though, was Virginia between Louisiana Avenue and North Columbia. That street was more like a lake as vehicles persisted in tackling the water, rather than driving another block to avoid the risk of flooding out.

Looking more like a lake than a city street, water covers Virginia Avenue between Louisiana Avenue and North Columbia following Thursday's deluge. (Photo by John H. Walker)

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.com)

Thunder, lightning ... Rain!

After a lengthy dry spell, portions of Washington Parish got rain beginning about midnight Wednesday.By 8 a.m., only puddles remained in Bogalusa - and it was barely damp heading south of town ... but that all changed about mid-morning, as a heavy band of thunderstorms moved through.

"My weather radio kep going off," one Bogalusa resident said. "There was warning after warning."

According to weatherbug, the official weather service for wpnewsblog, another heavy band should move through the area between about 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

"We really need this water," said a local watermelon grower. "It's been pretty bad, but if we can get some moisture along through here, we may have some good melons for July 4."

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)