Two Excessive Rainfall Events Lead to Significant Flooding Across NorthCentral Louisiana
by Jason Hansford
Two significant rainfall events made
headlines across the southern sections of Northcentral
Louisiana last October, which led to extensive flash
flooding. The first bout of heavy rainfall occurred
during October 16-17, 2006, from a line of nearly
stationary thunderstorms that continued to move
repeatedly along the same areas from along and south
of a Hemphill Texas (Sabine County)…to Many,
Natchitoches, Winnfield, and Monroe Louisiana line.
Widespread rainfall amounts of six to thirteen inches
of rain fell across these areas in just under 24 hours,
with isolated reports in excess of seventeen inches
recorded in the community of Kisatchie, LA (Southwest
Natchitoches Parish), and also two miles North-Northwest
of Grayson, LA in Caldwell Parish. Numerous roads and
homes were flooded, but fortunately, no injuries or
fatalities were reported. The 24 hour totals observed
from this system were the highest since early July of
1989, when Tropical Storm Allison affected portions of
Northern Louisiana and Deep East Texas.
Just two days later, additional
heavy rainfall developed and remained stationary
over the same areas that experienced the extensive
flooding before. An additional two to five inches
of rain fell, resulting in renewed flooding across
Southern Natchitoches, Grant, Winn, Caldwell, and
LaSalle Parishes. In fact, approximately 75% of
the city of Colfax in Western Grant Parish was
flooded, TWICE, from both of these separate rainfall
events!!! The flooding unfortunately displaced
thousands of residents from their homes, but did
lift a then record low pool stage on Toledo Bend
Lake over two feet, thus allowing many communities
throughout Sabine Parish to rely on Toledo Bend
Lake once again as their normal water source,
after the pumps failed in late September and early
October due to low water.
The following table lists the
combined rainfall totals from both storm events
for locations throughout Deep East Texas and
Northcentral Louisiana:
Location: |
2 Day Total
(in Inches): |
| Peason, LA |
22.00 |
| Olla, LA |
21.51 |
| Natchitoches RAWS, Kisatchie, LA |
21.02 |
| Grayson 2NNW, LA |
20.85 |
| Colfax, LA |
18.05 |
| Sam Rayburn Dam, TX |
17.05 |
| Sabine South RAWS, TX |
13.73 |
| Gum Springs RAWS, LA |
12.91 |
| Natchitoches, LA |
11.55 |
| Bentley, LA |
11.52 |
The following map illustrates
the two event excessive rainfall totals across
Deep East Texas and Northcentral Louisiana:
www.weather.gov
