Tropical Storm Related Flooding Continues From Gulf Coast to New England

Posted September 7th, 2011 at 12:05 am (UTC-5)
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The remnants of Tropical Storm Lee are expected to cause more flooding in the United States after dumping heavy rain and triggering destructive tornadoes in southern areas of the country.

The U.S. National Weather Service says the storm is moving northeast.

Flash flood watches and advisories are in effect from parts of the Gulf Coast to New England.

On Monday, the storm sparked tornadoes that damaged dozens of homes in Georgia. It also caused widespread power outages and flooded roads throughout the south.

Tropical Storm Lee made landfall near the city of New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, flooding streets and recalling the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina six years ago. Lee dumped more than 30 centimeters of rain on Louisiana and Mississippi.

Lee was later downgraded to a tropical depression.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Katia is swirling in the open Atlantic Ocean and heading northwest. The National Hurricane Center said in its latest bulletin that Katia is a category two storm on the five-point scale of hurricane intensity. The storm has winds of 165 kilometers per hour. Forecasters are warning of life-threatening rip currents along the U.S. east coast and Bermuda in the next few days.

No coastal watches or warnings are currently in effect. Forecasters expect Katia to weaken as it passes between the U.S. east coast and Bermuda on Wednesday and Thursday.

September is considered the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has already seen 12 named storms. The hurricane season began June 1 and ends November 30.