NU Online News Service, Aug. 12, 12:47 p.m. EDT

A tropical depression did not intensify into a tropical storm before making landfall along the Gulf Coast over southeastern Louisiana, but the slow-moving system will continue to dump rain on the region through Friday evening, reports indicate.

"Radar images have shown that heavy rain associated with the system has already moved into Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana--mainly between Myrtle Grove and Point a la Hache," according to catastrophe modeler Risk Management Solutions (RMS). "A flood advisory is in effect for Plaquemines Parish in southeast Louisiana," including the city of Port Sulphur, RMS added.

Yesterday, the National Hurricane Center described the system, Tropical Depression Five, as sprawling and poorly organized with maximum sustained winds near 30 miles per hour, and said it was possible the system could develop into a tropical storm before making landfall.

The NHC had issued a tropical storm warning for the Gulf Coast from Destin, Fla., to Intracoastal City, La.

In an update today, the NHC stated, "Although the circulation of this system has become better defined this morning, the remnants of the depression will be moving farther inland today and additional development is not expected."

The NHC added, "There is a low chance--near 0 percent--of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours."

Localized flooding in southern Louisiana and coastal Mississippi is still possible, the NHC said, but RMS said the National Weather Service does not anticipate any major flooding.

"Tides along the coastline, in areas of onshore wind, will range from one to two feet above normal, and high surf advisories are forecast until 10:00 a.m. [local time]," RMS said.

Elsewhere, the NHC said Atlantic tropical cyclone formation is not expected over the next 48 hours, including a system moving toward the Lesser Antilles that yesterday was given a high probability of forming into a tropical storm.

That system now has a "near 0 percent" chance of intensifying into a tropical storm. "Upper-level winds are forecast to become unfavorable for development," the NHC said.

Special Reports /

System Dumps Rain On SE U.S., But Does Not Become Tropical Storm

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