Barry's flood threat lingers as depression slowly sweeps inland

NEW ORLEANS - Though Tropical Depression Barry failed to unleash catastrophic flooding in New Orleans, it still swamped parts of Louisiana with up to 17 inches of rain and transformed part of the Mississippi Delta into "an ocean."

Barry was downgraded from a tropical storm on Sunday afternoon, but its torrential rains continued to pose a threat Monday. Much of Louisiana and Mississippi were under flash-flood watches, as were parts of Arkansas, eastern Texas, western Tennessee and southeastern Missouri.

In a bulletin warning of flash flooding, forecasters said much of Monday's heaviest rain fell in areas just north of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Authorities said rivers and streams are rising quickly in that part of the state.

Monday's rainfall was among the heaviest seen so far after Barry struck Louisiana during the weekend as a weak hurricane.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards urged residents to be cautious as they ventured outside after a weekend in which many had sheltered indoors.

He said he was "extremely grateful" that the storm had not caused the catastrophic floods that had earlier been forecast. More than 90 people had been rescued in 11 parishes, but there were no reports of weather-related fatalities, Edwards said.

"This was a storm that obviously could have played out very, very differently," he said. "We're thankful that the worst-case scenario did not happen."

But Barry was still proving disastrous in parts of Louisiana, particularly in areas north of Lake Charles. Up to 17 inches has fallen in isolated spots in that part of the state, the National Weather Service stated in one of numerous flash flood warnings issued Monday.

"Please don't drive through these flooded areas," Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso pleaded with motorists.

"I noticed our rivers coming up real quick," Mancuso said in an interview aired on KPLC-TV. "It's just very serious right now."

Authorities said rains from Barry overwhelmed sewer systems on Alabama's coasts, causing more than 250,000 gallons in spills.

The Alabama Department of Public Health said more than 180,000 gallons of sewage spilled in Baldwin County, located across Mobile Bay from the city of Mobile.

An estimated 125,000 gallons went into D'Olive Creek in Daphne. The state said spills also were being reported in Fairhope and Bay Minette.

The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System said about 80,680 gallons of sewage went into three creeks in the city.

The state told coastal residents to stay out of the waterways. It also said that any seafood caught in the area should be cooked thoroughly before consumption.

In Mississippi, forecasters said 8 inches of rain had fallen in parts of Jasper and Jones counties, with several more inches possible. An additional 3 to 5 inches was expected Monday in the western part of the state, including parts of the rural Delta that have been flooded for months from the Mississippi River and its backwaters.

"The South Delta has become an ocean," Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant wrote on Twitter on Monday.

He's calling on the federal government to build pumps to drain water from the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers. The EPA shelved the project in 2008 amid concerns about wetlands and wildlife. The Trump administration has said it might reconsider that decision.

Forecasters had warned of a continued threat of heavy rains into Monday as the center of the storm trudged inland. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sunday parts of south-central Louisiana could still have rainfall totals of up to 12 inches, with isolated pockets of 15 inches.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Sunday the city was "beyond lucky" that rainfall there fell well short of early predictions of a deluge that could overwhelm the city's pumping systems.

"We were spared," she said at a news conference, while noting the city was ready to help nearby parishes hit harder.

About 51,000 customers in Louisiana, 1,800 customers in Mississippi and an additional 1,700 customers in Arkansas were without power Sunday night, according to poweroutage.us.

Amtrak rail service between New Orleans and three major cities was being restored after being suspended.

The Amtrak Crescent was to leave New York for New Orleans on Monday, with service from New Orleans to New York resuming Tuesday.

Amtrak's Sunset Limited trains connect Los Angeles and New Orleans. The railroad said eastbound service to New Orleans resumes Wednesday. Westbound service resumes Saturday.

Edwards thanked the public for taking officials' warnings seriously during the weekend, but he also reminded residents that it is still relatively early in the Atlantic's hurricane season.

"Based on what we've experienced, I think (we will be) even better prepared for next time - and we do know that there will be a next time," Edwards said.