nbc's frances coe has more. >> reporter: lee kicked up waves as the slow-moving system made landfall and dumped as much as a foot of rain on the gulf coast. from alabama and mississippi -- >> we're talking about four to sick inches in the house last time. we need to put it at the back doors and stuff. you know? >> reporter: to the bayous of louisiana, swamping parts of the small shrimping community of lafitte. >> the levees are sealed off. so all the water is coming to us. >> reporter: as the storm passed overhead in new orleans the city's pump and levee systems held firm. >> the movement of rain water it's been right up there with the hurricane. and that's been the challenge. >> reporter: a big sigh of relief for the big easy. but forecasters warn that tornadoes and flash flooding could spread across the tennessee valley into the appalachians. lee packing enough punch to bring heavy rain and winds across the entire southeast. frances coe, nbc news. >>> elsewhere, water would have been welcome in drought-stricken texas, this weekend, but instead it was lee's powerful winds that fuele

frances coe has more. >> reporter: lee kicked up waves as the slow-moving system made landfall, and dumped as much as a foot of rain on the gulf coast. from alabama, and mississippi -- >> four to six inches in the house last time. we need to put it at the back doors and stuff. >> reporter: to the bayous of louisiana, swamping parts of the small shrimping community of la fitte. >> the levees, and all the water is coming to us. >> reporter: as the storm passed overhead in new orleans the city's pump and levee systems held firm. >> the movement of rainwater it's been right up there with the hurricane. and that's been the challenge. >> reporter: a big sigh of relief for the big easy. but forecasters warn that tornadoes and flash flooding could spread across the tennessee valley, into the appalachians. lee, packing enough punch to bring heavy rain and winds across the entire southeast. frances coe, nbc news. >>> elsewhere, water would have been welcome in drought-stricken texas this weekend. but instead it was lee's powerful winds that fueled wildfires burning across the state. over the weekend