Several additional inches of rainfall are expected along the I-10 and I-20 corridors through Saturday.
HOUSTON – Relentless rounds of showers and even strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to plague the South through at least Saturday with some areas in store for upwards of a half-foot of additional rainfall.
Recent rains have saturated the ground and caused rivers and streams in Texas and Louisiana to swell to levels not seen since Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Any additional rainfall could result in additional flooding.
Due to expectations of upwards of 6 inches of additional rainfall, NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center has issued a Level 3 out 4 alert for flash flooding across three states.
The greatest concern is for rounds of precipitation on Thursday and Friday when communities between Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 could see their heaviest rainfall.
“You’ve got a dip in the jet stream, divergent flow aloft … and that promotes rising air at the surface, and that’s what starts pulling in more of the moisture from the Gulf as well,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Ian Oliver.
(FOX Weather)
DRONE VIDEO SHOWS TEXAS TOWN UNDERWATER AS BOATS RESCUE RESIDENTS TRAPPED IN HOMES
Forecast models show the bulk of the heavy rainfall occurring north of Houston, south of Dallas and northwest of New Orleans, but that will not prevent these cities from seeing rounds of showers and thunderstorms.
The FOX Forecast Center warned that some communities could even be put under an extreme risk for flooding, which is a Level 4 out of 4.
Area already devastated by deadly floods
Before the additional rounds of wet weather, College Station was already running a precipitation surplus of 11.23 inches, while Galveston is 6.30 inches above where it typically should be for mid-May.
Texas and federal officials are still in damage assessment mode in the Lone Star State after hundreds of homes were damaged and destroyed by recent springtime flooding. At least three people were killed.
Local officials believe the area will qualify for federal assistance from FEMA, but that will not solve the immediate problem of the threat of additional flooding.
(FOX Weather)
TEXAS FLOODING TURNS DEADLY AS RIVERS COULD REMAIN SWOLLEN FOR DAYS
Parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi are expected to experience a drier pattern next week and into the Labor Day holiday.
A significant break from the wet weather will likely alleviate any flooding concerns that arise over the next few days but do little to prevent problems, such as an increase in mosquitoes and muggy weather.
“Dew points are an absolute measure of moisture in the atmosphere, and when those get up to about 70, that’s when it gets really sticky and uncomfortable outside,” Oliver said. “You see those up into the mid-70s, and that’s more like some mid-summer.”
Check out the drone video over Livingston, Texas on Thursday. The NWS estimates that up to 9 inches of rain fell. The runoff is already up to the eaves of ranch homes.