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New Orleans sees deluge, isolated flooding

Waves of thunderstorms rolled through southeast Louisiana on Friday, causing isolated flooding in New Orleans. Tornado warnings were issued for areas north of the city and Lake Pontchartrain.
Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes wave goodbye to the crowd after heavy rain forced them to stop at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Friday.
Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes wave goodbye to the crowd after heavy rain forced them to stop at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Friday.Cheryl Gerber / AP
/ Source: msnbc.com staff and news service reports

Waves of thunderstorms rolled through southeast Louisiana on Friday, causing isolated flooding in New Orleans. Tornado warnings were issued for areas north of the city and Lake Pontchartrain.

By late afternoon, about 6,000 customers were without power in the city and many roads were still being drained during the evening rush hour.

The deluge began Thursday night and comes as people gather for the city’s jazz festival this weekend.

Water rose several inches on Canal Street, which was hard-hit by flooding during Hurricane Katrina. That prompted restaurant staff to scurry about warning lunchtime patrons to move vehicles parked on the street.

At Jazzfest, performers abandoned outdoor stages, but the performances continued in tents. Electricity was turned off to some areas as a precaution as water on the grounds nearly reached knee-deep at times.