Barry still flooding parts of South

The Port of New Orleans has reopened, although the remnants of Hurricane Barry are producing drenching rains.

   More flooding is forecast in the South as Tropical Depression Barry trudges through the region.
   The storm was headed toward the mid-South Monday, producing heavy rainfall and flooding from southern Louisiana to Mississippi, Arkansas, western Tennessee and the Missouri boot heel. The National Weather Service has issued flash flood watches for these areas, which include Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Little Rock, Cape Girardeau, Memphis and Jackson, Miss. Drivers may hit roadblocks along the I-20, I-40 and I-55 corridors. There is also a risk of isolated tornadoes in the region.
   The Port of New Orleans has reopened after Tropical Storm Barry swept through the region, although officials still warn of dangerous flooding conditions.
   Port conditions were normal as of 6 a.m. CT Sunday, enabling vessel movement in and out of the Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans, albeit with some restrictions, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Those restrictions may be found here. 
   The Coast Guard said early preparation and communication between federal, state, local and industry partners helped minimize the potential for damage at the port.
   “Even while the storm was still approaching landfall, we were making preparations to reopen our ports and restore critical infrastructure and marine transportation systems as quickly as possible after it passed,” said Capt. Kristi Luttrell, Sector New Orleans commander for the Coast Guard. “Along with the safety of the public and first responders, restoration of maritime commerce was one of our top priorities.”
   The Port of New Orleans expected all flood gates along the Mississippi River to be open by Sunday afternoon and said its administration building would have regular hours Monday.
   Barry caused only minor disruptions in transportation and freight movement over the weekend. Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) announced Sunday that it was returning to normal operations in the New Orleans area. However, shipments to and through New Orleans were expected to experience delays of 24 to 48 hours.
   Norfolk Southern said it continues to work with interline partners to detour interchange traffic over alternate gateways where possible to minimize the impact.
   Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) issued a customer notice on Wednesday stating rail traffic interchanged with eastern carriers at New Orleans would be restricted, as flood gates were closed that afternoon. Traffic moving through New Orleans would be rerouted through alternative locations until the storm passed. Union Pacific has placed embargoes for the locations of New Orleans and Avondale due to the gate closures and more potential flooding.

Feel the sizzle. The heat wave continues across the Southwest. The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings from southern Arizona through eastern portions of southern California, including Phoenix, Yuma and Palm Springs. High temperatures in many spots will reach 110 to 115 degrees, several degrees above normal. 
   It also will be very hot along the I-29 and I-90 corridors through Sioux Falls and Sioux City, where the heat index will be 100 to 106 degrees, and it will feel like 100 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Sweltering humidity will make it feel like 100 to 107 degrees across the Carolinas, from Myrtle Beach to Wilmington and the Outer Banks. Heat advisories have been posted for these areas.
   Watch Austin’s forecast here.