Water-logged areas of south-central US facing renewed flooding risk
Rain poured down on portions of the south-central United States through Saturday night, triggering flash flooding in some areas. The same system also brought some much-needed moisture to parts of central Texas. The rain and thunderstorms will shift eastward on Sunday, soaking portions of the Southeast from Mississippi to North Carolina, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
The heaviest rain will avoid most of the Interstate 10 corridor, especially the hard-hit metro areas of New Orleans and Tallahassee, Florida. Areas along I-20 were not so fortunate however, where 2-4 inches of rain fell through Saturday night.
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The swath of heavy rain extended from the Dallas metro area through Shreveport, Louisiana, and around Jackson, Mississippi.
Dallas just missed the deluge from last week, but some areas from northeastern Texas to northern Louisiana and central Mississippi picked up 6-12 inches of rain, with some places picking up close to 16 inches. This was all without any sort of organized tropical system.
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Heavy rain also extended farther south from the Dallas area, just east of the I-35 corridor of central Texas to just north of Houston.
Soil conditions range from sufficiently moist to extreme drought in parts of central and southwestern Texas.
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Some downpours, most likely from thunderstorms, will reach the I-10 corridor on Sunday. Rainfall in this zone may be limited to a few hours and generally under an inch, with a few exceptions. However, where the exceptions occur, there can be brief localized urban flooding. This includes parts of the New Orleans, Mobile, Alabama, and Tallahassee, Florida, metro areas.
"The best chance of downpours in New Orleans and Mobile will be Sunday morning. Most of the downpours will hold off in Tallahassee until late Sunday and Sunday evening," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
"At the very least, the rain will interfere with travel plans and outdoor activities on Sunday," AccuWeather Meteorologist and Video Broadcaster Ariella Scalese said.
Looking ahead, the first part of this week will be generally rain-free. However, as the week progresses, airflow from the Gulf of Mexico will resume. This will lead to warmer and more humid conditions and an increasing chance of thunderstorm activity.
AccuWeather meteorologists are closely watching the evolution of a storm from the West that could lead to an outbreak of severe weather over the Central states late in the week. There is also the potential for another front to stall and unleash more rain on portions of the I-20 corridor next weekend.
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