Louisiana
Tropical rainstorm to bring deluge of rain to Texas, Louisiana
This AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue satellite image shows the strengthening tropical rainstorm over the Yucatan Peninsula late on Sunday, June 16. |
After a tropical rainstorm brought heavy rainfall to portions of Florida last week, AccuWeather hurricane experts warn that yet another tropical rainstorm is expected to impact the southern U.S. in the coming days.
In addition to the tropical rainstorm, two other areas in the Atlantic Basin are being monitored for tropical development later this week. It is possible that one of these areas could strengthen into Alberto, becoming the first named storm of the season.
AccuWeather began to highlight portions of the western Gulf of Mexico as a high risk on Thursday afternoon. A tropical rainstorm developed late on Sunday and is forecast to steer toward the border between Mexico and Texas early this week. The storm is expected to drift north-northwestward into Wednesday, bringing with it rounds of heavy rain.
“Very warm waters in this area of the Gulf, as well as low wind shear will make this a conducive environment the tropical rainstorm to strengthen,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
Given these factors, the rainstorm is forecast to strengthen into a tropical depression, then a tropical storm right before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast of Mexico. Should the storm produce sustained winds of 39 mph or greater prior to any other development in the Atlantic Basin, it would be given the name Alberto.
A tropical storm is likely to bring widespread gusts to the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, as well as portions of South Texas. Some storm surge can also be expected along the coast north of the storm’s landfall. For both Mexico and the United States, given the risk for damaging winds, storm surge and flooding rainfall, this storm is a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes.
Given the limited time over water and close proximity to land, the tropical system will need to intensify quickly in order to reach tropical storm strength before landfall late on Wednesday.
“Even if the tropical storm falls short of reaching tropical storm status, a plume of rich, deep tropical moisture is expected to surge into Mexico, Texas and Louisiana into the middle of the week,” Pydynowski explained.
Heavy rain is forecast to extend well north of the center of the storm, beginning as early as Monday.
A wet Monday morning commute is expected along the Interstate 10 corridor from New Orleans to Houston, as downpours threaten to slow travel, reduced visibility and cause flooding. Rain is forecast to continue into Wednesday before some of the heavier downpours shift north up the Mississippi River Valley and westward into more of Texas.
The ample supply of tropical moisture could allow rainfall totals to add up quickly, bringing the risk for over half a foot of rain across parts of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coasts. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 30 inches is possible in the hardest-hit areas, resulting in road closures.
The Houston area has already received over 6 inches of rain through the first half of June, which is an amount more typical for the entire month. This new round of heavy rainfall to the already drenched area could bring renewed flooding woes for southeastern Texas.
Other zones along the Gulf Coast could use the rain. Brownsville, Texas, has only had 0.17 of an inch of rain so far in June, 14% of the historical average. In New Orleans, only 10% of the month’s typical rain fell in the first 15 days of June. In these areas, the soil may be so dry from the lack of recent rain that flash flooding could occur in the heavier downpours.
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Behind this wave of tropical rainfall, it’s not out of the question that another tropical system could form near the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico late in the week.
“With warm waters and low shear still present in the southern Gulf of Mexico and northwestern Caribbean next weekend, yet another opportunity for tropical development may present itself,” warned Pydynowski.
Depending on the wind pattern in the atmosphere, any moisture from this area may again funnel into the Gulf Coast for the last week of June. Given the expected rain in the coming week, the risk for localized flooding may increase.
As the middle of the week approaches, yet another area could see a developing tropical system, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
“This appears to be a quick-moving and compact low pressure area that will be moving westward into northeastern Florida or perhaps as far north as southeastern Georgia on Thursday,” said Pydynowski.
A stronger storm could bring gusty winds, especially to coastal locations. But even a less-organized storm would bring rough surf and downpours from the northern Bahamas to the Southeast Atlantic Coast.
Heavy tropical rainfall may hit some of the same areas that were drenched with last week’s tropical rainstorm. The highest rainfall totals are likely to miss to the north of Miami, which had over 11 inches of rain, and the town of Aventura, where 20 inches of rain fell. Instead, locations from Melbourne, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina, may be more at risk for the heavy rain.
The zone currently primed for the heaviest rain has had very little rain so far this month, including Jacksonville, Florida, which only has reported 0.64 of an inch.
Forecasters will continue to monitor the development potential of all three areas throughout the week.
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Louisiana
Louisiana’s $30M tutoring program boosts elementary test scores
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana elementary school students are seeing improvements in standardized test scores thanks to a $30 million High-Dosage Tutoring Initiative, state leaders say.
At Jefferson Terrace Academy, educators showcased how the program has helped raise Louisiana’s rankings on the Nation’s Report Card.
State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley emphasized the program’s challenges and progress.
“We’re still in the stream on this. We have work to do. To take something to scale like this statewide is hard. It’s difficult. No other state has done it,” he said.
Brumley said the tutoring program consists of 10-week sessions, held three times a week for 30 minutes.
“Louisiana has been long challenged educationally. We are trying to implement comprehensive education reform to take the state to the next level,” Brumley said.
East Baton Rouge Parish Schools Superintendent LaMont Cole explained the flexible approach.
“What ends up happening is—you can do it one of two ways—teachers can go in and work in small groups of no more than four students on the skills they need in order to get to grade level, or we can use our partners, and specialized online programs so they can do it on their own,” Cole said.
State leaders said the funding has allowed schools to bring in college students, teachers, and trained tutors, creating a safe and productive learning environment.
According to the Nation’s Report Card, the initiative is already showing positive results—especially in fourth-grade reading scores in Louisiana, which have jumped from last place to 16th nationwide this year.
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Louisiana
South Alabama plays Louisiana-Monroe in a NCAA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala.
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Mike Kittrell
Louisiana-Monroe at South Alabama basketball
Louisiana-Monroe forward Makai Willis and South Alabama guard John Broom go after a rebound in the first half of a NCAA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala. (Mike Kittrell/AL.com)
Louisiana
Report: See where Louisiana ranks for mental health in 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana ranks as the second-worst state in 2025 for mental health.
Soliant Health researchers ranked all 50 U.S. states in a study. It examined their mental and physical health, jobs, and access to healthy food.
The report says Louisiana has the fifth-lowest physical activity participation rate. The state has the fourth-highest average number of poor mental health days and the third-highest percentage of limited access to healthy food. Louisiana finished with a score of 23.1 out of 100.
Experts listed North Dakota as the best state for mental health, giving it a score of 82.
The worst state, according to the report, is West Virginia, with a score of 21.9.
“A standout finding from our analysis is the clear link between a state’s disconnected youth rate and its performance in key areas like mental health and employment. Disconnected youth—those not in school or working—face greater risks of mental health struggles, including vulnerability to violence, substance abuse, and emotional challenges,” said Soliant Senior Vice President of Education Lesley Slaughter. “They’re also more likely to encounter unemployment, poverty, and long-term mental health issues later in life. This correlation underscores just how critical school-based healthcare professionals are; they don’t just support students’ emotional well-being but also lay the foundation for brighter futures, helping today’s youth grow into thriving, healthy adults.”
The 10 worst states for mental health in 2025, according to Soliant
- West Virginia — 21.9
- Louisiana — 23.1
- Arkansas — 26.6
- Nevada — 26.7
- Mississippi — 31.5
- New Mexico — 31.9
- Kentucky — 34.8
- South Carolina — 38.5
- Oklahoma — 39.7
- Texas — 39.9
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