The rainy weather is starting to get to some people now. Extended rains last week, extended rains this week. The lack of sunshine is probably slowing people down at least somewhat too. The mosquitoes love it, and at least now I can see where all the ant poison needs to go! Yesterday the rains developed and moved over the same areas, mainly over St. Landry, Lafayette, Vermilion, St. Martin, Iberia, and St. Mary Parishes. Here in Lafayette we picked up another 1.39″ with the downpours during the late afternoon hours. Today it appears the rains will re-develop later this morning as the front is still stalled over the region, and there is plenty of tropical moisture being pulled northward by the upper level low spinning over the mid part of the country. I would expect about the same coverage, and fairly similar totals. Some areas might get up to 2 inches again today if we get those “training” storms.
The upper level low will weaken and drift northward over the next couple of days. The front in place will eventually wash out. So expect about a 10% drop in rain chances each day until the early part of the week. That will equate to 50% today, 40% tomorrow, 30% for Saturday, 20% for Sunday. Next week looks more promising for a drying period. A cool front will move in late Monday. By Tuesday were hoping for some temps in the mid 80s during the day and lower 60s at night with lower humidity!
Four years ago we were watching Category 3 Hurricane Rita moving onshore near Johnson Bayou in the extreme southwestern corner of Louisiana. Rita brought incredible storm surges not seen since Hurricane Audrey nearly 50 years prior. The surge impacted most of Vermilion parish, with severe flooding as far north as Erath and Delcambre. Much of Iberia parish south of LA14 and west of US 90 was underwater. St. Mary parish also recorded significant storm surge flooding. Lower parts of Cameron and Vermilion parishes were wiped off the map including Pecan Island, Grand Chenier, Cameron, Holly Beach, and Johnson Bayou. Fortunately, a successful evacuation of those parishes 
kept the death toll to zero. Only one direct death was recorded for the state of Louisiana, coming from Calcasieu Parish, and only 7 direct deaths from Rita in the United States. There were 120 indirect deaths caused mainly by accidents during the evacuations, clean-up injuries, heat exahaustion, and poor health. This is incredible considering it is the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico (Breaking Katrina’s record set only 24 days earlier), and some of the worst storm surge flooding ever experienced along the Gulf Coast! It was the third of four Category 5 hurricanes of the 2005 season (only season with more than 2), It is also the 4th most intense hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin, and holds the record for the fastest 1 hour pressure drop, and an amazing 70mb drop in 24 hours. Hurricane Rita’s winds peaked at 180mph with a minimum pressure of 895mb! The Gulf looks much better today, than it did in late September 2005!
StormTeam3 Meteorologist Dave Baker
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