Tropical Storm Barry promises to be a rain event rather than a wind event in Leflore County, according to the National Weather Service, but the amount of rain could cause problems.
Anna Wolverton, an NWS meteorologist in Jackson, predicted rainfall up to 7 inches from Friday through Wednesday in Leflore County, with isolated higher amounts.
“There will be a limited threat for flash flooding into Monday probably,” she said.
The “home brew” tropical storm started as a cluster of thunderstorms that rolled across the Plains states on the Fourth of July, only to make it to the Gulf with an area of spin a few thousand feet above the ground, according to the NWS. It reversed directions and grew as it moved west across the Gulf.
Although winds on Thursday afternoon were gauged at 40 mph, making Barry the second named storm of the 2019 season, it could grow to 74 mph and become the year’s first hurricane before making landfall Saturday morning.
The storm is expected to come ashore in Louisiana and head north, tracking up the Mississippi River, Wolverton said.
By Sunday, the storm should be centered around Vicksburg, and by Monday it should reach Memphis, she said. That would put Greenwood on the eastern side of the storm, usually the area hit with the heaviest rainfalls. If the storm moves quickly to the north, the impact will be less severe, but if it stalls, rainfall totals could be heavier. After the storm center passes, the rain will diminish. “Greenwood will probably feel the bulk of the rain on Saturday and Sunday,” Wolverton said.
Current predictions are for wind speeds of 39 to 57 mph as far north as Meridian, but most of the NWS maps show winds in Leflore County not exceeding 20 mph as the storm passes.
On Thursday afternoon, a tropical storm warning had been posted for the southeastern Louisiana coast, from the border with Mississippi to Morgan City, Louisiana.
The American Red Cross is encouraging residents to use Tropical Storm Barry as a reason to plan and prepare for weather emergencies. The Red Cross recommends families build an emergency kit with a gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable food, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, a first aid kit, medications, baby supplies if applicable, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cellphone chargers, extra cash, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information.
•Contact Gavin Maliska at 581-7235 or gmaliska@gwcommonwealth.com.
