Ida's Flood Threat Keeps Trucking Across US

Despite weakening to a tropical depression, Ida isn't done wreaking havoc on portions of the country. More flooding and tornadoes are likely over the next few days from the Gulf Coast to New England.

Related: Roundup: Ida's impact on the supply chain; drivers needed

Nearly 14 inches of rain were measured in New Orleans before the downpour ended early Monday. In Jackson County, Mississippi, an estimated 300 homes were flooded and dozens of roads closed.

Between 10 and 11 inches of rain fell near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and streets were also flooded in Hattiesburg and Meridian, Mississippi. Parts of southern Alabama picked up 6 to 7 inches of rain, while Walnut Hill, Florida, recorded 8.2 inches.

(Map: FreightWaves SONAR Critical Events, Aug. 31, 2021, 10 a.m. ET. To learn more about FreightWaves SONAR, click here.)

Ida's remnants were centered near Tupelo, Mississippi, early Tuesday morning. The system will arrive in the Northeast by Thursday.

Portions of the Southeast, including the western Florida Panhandle, eastern and northern Alabama, and northern Georgia, will see an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain through Wednesday morning. Look for 3 to 6 inches through Thursday morning in parts of the middle Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley, central and Southern Appalachians, as well as the mid-Atlantic. Isolated higher amounts are possible. Areas in southern New England could see 2 to 4 inches, with isolated higher amounts, Wednesday into Thursday.

Considerable flash flooding is possible in some of these areas, leading to possible road closures.

Isolated tornadoes, along with scattered severe thunderstorm winds, could also develop Tuesday from the western Florida Panhandle into Alabama, southern Georgia and the Atlanta area. The threat shifts to the mid-Atlantic Wednesday along the Interstate 85 and 95 corridors, from North Carolina to Philadelphia and southern New Jersey.

Major lanes of concern

Interstate 10 from Mobile, Alabama, to Pensacola, Florida
Interstate 65 from Mobile to Louisville, Kentucky
Interstate 75 from Lexington, Kentucky, to Atlanta
Interstate 81 from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Scranton, Pennsylvania

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.

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Image by David Mark from Pixabay