Storm could cause flash flooding
Possible ‘cyclone’ aimed at Louisiana may bring more rain
The National Weahter Service has issued flash flood warnings for the Houston area on Labor Day, and a “potential tropical cyclone” could bring more rain later in the week.
Southeast Texans braced Sunday night for a wave of Labor Day rainfall that could flood streets and low water crossings.
The flash flood warnings issued by the National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston on Sunday afternoon came roughly an hour before the National Hurricane Center warned that a “potential tropical cyclone” could bring hurricane or tropical storm conditions to southeastern Louisiana by midweek.
The Labor Day Weekend had already been a wet one in the Houston area, meaning that the rainfall — which could total as much as 5 inches in some areas and was expected to begin around midnight Sunday — will potentially flood roads or low water crossings. The NWS also said minor flooding of streams and bayous “is possible” but would be limited to smaller watersheds.
The forecast spurred statements from various officials, many offering the same messages: Monitor weather reports and, if possible, stay off roads during the storm’s peak.
The NWS said that chances for rainfall will decrease after Monday night, though the “potential tropical cyclone” tracking toward Louisiana likely will bring more rain to Houston.
“It has been initiated and is expected to move northwest through the Florida Straits and into the eastern Gulf, where it has a good shot at developing,” the NWS said. “It doesn’t pose any significant threat to (southeast Texas)
until Friday if it sticks to the expected track. Uncertainty after it moves into Louisiana increases and so will need to continue to be monitored, though at this point the threat for very heavy rainfall next weekend has diminished.”
Other forecasters have voiced similar thoughts.
“While things can change, at this point we don’t anticipate anything too extreme for southeast Texas,” meteorologist and science writer Eric Berger wrote on SpaceCityWeather.com. “This isn’t Harvey. It isn’t Allison. Most likely it’s just some heavy, tropical rains that the region can handle.”
On Saturday and Sunday, one-half inch of rain was recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Here’s the forecast for Houston through Wednesday night:
Labor Day: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a high near 86. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Monday night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 76. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 85. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
See updates at HoustonChronicle.com.