FFANEW
LAZ034>040-046>050-056>070-MSZ068>071-077-080>082-091000-

BULLETIN...IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1044 PM CDT FRI OCT 8 2004

...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
   LOUISIANA AND EXTREME SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...

IN MISSISSIPPI...COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE WILKINSON...
AMITE...PIKE...WALTHALL...PEARL RIVER...HANCOCK...HARRISON AND
JACKSON.

IN LOUISIANA...PARISHES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE ASCENSION...
ASSUMPTION...EAST BATON ROUGE...EAST FELICIANA...IBERVILLE...
JEFFERSON...LAFOURCHE...LIVINGSTON...ORLEANS. .. PLAQUEMINES...POINTE
COUPEE...ST. BERNARD...ST. CHARLES...ST. HELENA...ST. JAMES...ST.
JOHN THE BAPTIST...ST. TAMMANY...TANGIPAHOA...TERREBONNE...
WASHINGTON...WEST BATON ROUGE AND WEST FELICIANA.

TROPICAL STORM MATTHEW OVER THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO SATURDAY
NIGHT AND SUNDAY...AND POSSIBLY REACH THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE SUNDAY
NIGHT. DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE STORM AND COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM MATTHEW AND AN UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WATCH AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES
HAVE ALREADY BEEN OBSERVED FROM NEAR BATON ROUGE TO HOUMA WITH HIGHER
AMOUNTS ESTIMATED BY DOPPLER RADAR SOUTH OF HOUMA. OVERALL RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS NEAR 10 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...CREEKS AND OTHER
DRAINAGE AREAS IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THE WATCH
AREA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER AND BE PREPARED FOR IMMEDIATE
ACTION SHOULD HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING OCCUR OR A FLASH FLOOD WARNING
BE ISSUED.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR
UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL FLOOD SITUATION.


$$