Localized Downpours to Raise Flood Threat Across Texas, Louisiana Saturday

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

November 7,2015; 12:23PM,EST

 

 

A slow-moving cold front will generate rain and thunderstorms from Texas into the southern Appalachians and bring a renewed threat for flooding in some communities on Saturday.
According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Ed Vallee, "A slow-moving cold front will move toward the Gulf Coast and set the stage for areas of heavy rain from central Texas eastward across the Gulf Coast states on Saturday."
This front led to severe thunderstorms firing across the southern Plains on Thursday. Hail, damaging winds and tornadoes were reported from Texas into Kansas.

Tornado Rips Roof From Texas Building

One of the tornadoes touched down in Fort Worth, Texas, and ripped a roof off from a building. The tornado was within 0.25 of a mile from hitting the National Weather Service Office.
While the threat for any widespread severe weather on Saturday is low, the threat for flash flooding will remain elevated.
As the front slowly drops southward on Saturday, rain and thunderstorms will develop along both the warm and cool side of the front. These storms will be slow-moving and could produce heavy rainfall in a short period of time.

Rain will be concentrated from between Dallas and Houston, Texas, to most of Louisiana, Mississippi, and across the Southeast on Saturday. Places from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Dallas and points north and west will be spared from the heaviest rain.
"Drenching rain and thunderstorms are expected on Saturday across eastern Texas northeastward to the Carolinas, and slowly collapse southeastward toward the Gulf Coast into the evening hours," Vallee said.
Those traveling along Interstates 10 and 20 should be aware for rapidly changing weather conditions and find alternate routes should roads become flooded.
"The main impacts with this rain will be ponding on roadways and some flooding in low-lying areas," Vallee said.
The greatest concern for localized flooding exists in eastern Texas and Louisiana.
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This rainfall will bring no relief to the rivers above flood stage from southeastern Texas into Louisiana. Most of the rivers over flood stage are from east of Houston into southwestern Louisiana, according to the National Weather Service River Forecast Center.
Rivers across northeast Texas are also above flood stage but are expected to slowly recede into next week.
Never drive through a flooded roadway. Less than a foot of rushing water could wash vehicles off the roads.

A strong area of high pressure will push the front and moisture off the coast into the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday as a stretch of drier weather will be in store through early next week.
A storm system will likely bring a return to showers and storms across Texas and Louisiana by midweek. As the storm is expected to quickly press off to the east, the threat for any major flooding is likely to be localized. There is a chance for thunderstorms to become severe across the southern Plains and mid-Mississippi Valley.
The heavy rain over the past month helped to nearly erase the significant drought that was expanding across Texas and Louisiana from this summer. About 80 percent of Texas and Louisiana are drought-free according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.