Waves of rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue over portions of the South this week, with forecasters warning of flash flooding alongside other threats that accompany severe weather, especially across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. In Texas, a search-and-rescue effort resumed for a 10-year-old girl who was swept away by floodwaters on Monday.
Here are the key things to know:
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Heavy rain is expected throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.
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The ground is saturated from recent storms, and additional precipitation may quickly lead to flooding.
Heavy storms hit Texas on Monday.
In Brenham, Texas, a city of about 17,000 residents that is between Austin and Houston, a search-and-rescue effort resumed for the 10-year-old girl, who was last seen on Monday as storms moved through. The city has employed drones, swift water rescue teams and canine units in the rescue effort, according to the Brenham Fire Department. “Please continue to keep this precious child, her family and all the dedicated first responders in your thoughts and prayers,” the Fire Department said on social media.
Here’s what forecasters expect:
By midday on Tuesday, a portion of Central Texas was under a tornado watch through 4 p.m. local time, and short-term flash flood warnings had been issued for areas around Fort Worth, Dallas and Austin. (Watches are issued when flooding is possible; warnings are issued when a flash flood is imminent or already happening somewhere in the area.)
The Storm Prediction Center has outlined much of central and northern Texas, including the cities of Houston, Dallas and Austin, as well as central and southern Louisiana, as being under a slight risk for severe storms. A more focused area in eastern Texas and the far west of Louisiana is under a slightly higher risk, where there’s the greatest chance of strong tornadoes.
Frank Pereira, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center, said the storms were expected to begin in western Texas on Tuesday morning and gradually spread eastward through the afternoon.
“Across parts of Texas and Oklahoma into Arkansas, Louisiana, later today and into the night,” he said of the storms’ path. “We’re expecting the development of both some severe weather and heavy rainfall.”
As the day progresses and temperatures rise, the risk of large hail bigger than golf balls, damaging winds and a few tornadoes will increase, particularly in central and southeastern Texas and into western Louisiana, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Rainfall leading to significant flash flooding is an added concern, with multiple rounds of storms forecast through Thursday. The Weather Prediction Center has issued its second-highest risk warning for flash flooding across parts of southeast Texas, Louisiana and Southern Mississippi.
Soil in many of these areas is already saturated from recent rains, and forecasters warned that additional precipitation may quickly lead to flooding. Some locations in southeast Texas into southern Louisiana and Southern Mississippi could receive between five to eight inches of rain on Tuesday alone, with some isolated spots possibly surpassing that amount.
“The next 24 hours is really when we’re expecting the overall heaviest amounts,” Mr. Pereira said. “Things start to diminish a little as we get into Wednesday, but there’s still potential for more additions of heavy rain along the Gulf Coast.”
The system’s cold front is expected to stall along the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, leading to additional rainfall of five inches or more across already affected areas. Thunderstorms will continue into Thursday, with localized rainfall rates of more than two inches per hour possible in some places.
By the end of the week, conditions are expected to improve.
“During the weekend, it looks pretty dry across much of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and that whole area,” Mr. Pereira said.
Simon J. Levien contributed reporting.
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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