Weather Alert

From the desk of: Clarence W. Powe Deputy Director Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness St. Tammany Parish Government There is a Slight risk of severe thunderstorms now expanded south and west to include Baton Rouge and New Orleans metro areas. Damaging wind speeds should be the main concern but a tornado or two and hail cannot be ruled out. *NEW: Wind advisory for sustained winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts as high as 45 mph has been issued across most of metro New Orleans (south shores of Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne) and southeast Louisiana coastal areas. Gale warnings are now in effect across the marine area for sustained winds near 30 knots and gusts around 40 knots and associated dangerous wave conditions. Finally, cold wind chill values in the 20s are expected due to the strong winds and cold temperatures late Saturday night into Sunday morning. WHEN: Severe thunderstorms Saturday morning to early afternoon as a cold front moves through. Strong winds and wind advisory/gale warning Saturday late afternoon through Saturday night. WHERE: All of southeast Louisiana and south Mississippi CONFIDENCE: Moderate Possible/Expected Impacts: · A line of thunderstorms along the cold front could produce wind speeds strong enough to cause some damage and power outages. · An isolated tornado or two and hail up to around quarter size are possible. · Sustained winds late Saturday through Saturday night could blow around lighter, unsecured objects and produce strong cross winds on elevated roads and bridges. · Preparations for cold weather Saturday night and Sunday morning. The graphic below depicts the severe weather risk areas for Saturday.