Severe Storms, Heavy Rain Sweeping Through the South Into Thursday

Chris Dolce
Published: May 3,2017
Severe storms and heavy rain will impact the South into Thursday as a vigorous storm system sweeps through the eastern half of the nation.
(MORE: Tornado Central)

Current Radar, Watches and Warnings

Wednesday afternoon, egg-size hail (2 inches in diameter) was reported in downtown Henderson, Texas, as a severe thunderstorm affected the east Texas city.
That same storm also downed a large tree onto a Henderson home, producing substantial damage. Luckily, the occupants of the home escaped without injuries, according to KLTV 7.
Wednesday morning, a possible tornado damaged siding and blew out windows of a structure in Pecan Island, Louisiana.
In addition, hail the size of golf balls and tennis balls was reported with severe storms in southern Louisiana Wednesday morning, including near Forest Hill, Oakdale and Glenmora.
Flash flooding has also occurred in southern Louisiana. The emergency manager in Lake Charles reported 50-plus cars were stalled in high water across the city Wednesday afternoon.
Cars were reportedly stalled in floodwaters a foot deep in Lafayette, Louisiana, late Wednesday morning.
(LATEST NEWS: Roads Flooded as Heavy Rain Batters Texas, Louisiana)
Rain from this storm system will also affect flood-ravaged parts of Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma, southern Missouri and southern Illinois. For more details on what to expect in those areas, see our article.
Here are the forecast details on what to expect in the South.

Severe Weather and Heavy Rain Forecast

Thursday

• A few severe storms will be possible ahead of the cold front Thursday, mainly from the Florida panhandle and south Alabama to southern/central Georgia and South Carolina.
• Damaging wind gusts and hail are the main threats. There is also the potential for a few tornadoes.
• Cities: Jacksonville, Florida | Panama City, Florida | Savannah, Georgia

Thursday's Thunderstorm Forecast

There is the possibility that a few severe storms could continue on Friday in the mid-Atlantic region, mainly in the morning hours. Isolated damaging wind gusts would be the main threat.

Rainfall Outlook

A broad area of the South could see 1 to 3 inches of rain through Thursday, from eastern Texas eastward through the Deep South. Locations near the Gulf Coast could see more than 3 inches of rainfall.
If any areas of rain or thunderstorms stall in any one location for too long, some instances of flash flooding may develop. Parts of the immediate Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley have the greatest risk of flooding into Thursday.

Rainfall Forecast Through Thursday

MORE: Late-April 2017 Severe Weather and Major Flooding

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