Showers and thunderstorms may produce a localized threat of flash flooding across southern Texas, the Southeast coast and much of Florida, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned in an advisory posted to Facebook on Sunday.
Some stronger storms are possible over parts of the central and southern High Plains, the advisory added.
Newsweek has reached out to the NWS via email Sunday during non-working hours for further comment.
Why It Matters
Flash flooding is hazardous because it can occur with little advance notice and produces rapid rises in water depth and flow rate that endanger drivers, pedestrians and structures.
The waters can overwhelm drainage and roadways and have recently produced deadly and disruptive events across the country.
The NWS’s public guidance emphasizes that just 6 inches of moving water can knock over an adult and that 1-foot of water can carry away most vehicles.
What To Know
Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) on Friday in anticipation of forecasted flash flooding following the deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River that claimed the lives of at least 130 people over Fourth of July weekend.
The state is still recovering two months after the flash flooding swept through Camp Mystic in Texas Hill Country and several other areas of the Lone Star State.
“Moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Lorena is expected to interact with a cold front this weekend, leading to potential for excessive rainfall and flash flooding across large areas of West, Northwest, Central, South, and Southeast Texas,” a press release from Abbott said.
Multiple other storm setups this season have repeatedly produced heavy hourly rainfall rates which can trigger flash flooding in urban corridors, low-lying roadways, small streams and areas below burn scars.
In August, Southeastern Wisconsin saw 13–14 inches of rain in a single weekend, prompting hundreds of water rescues and a local state of emergency. The flooding closed the state fair and left damage that required assistance from the National Guard.
What People Are Saying
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a press release Friday: “Texans are urged to take all necessary precautions for severe weather, monitor forecasts and road conditions, heed guidance from state and local officials, and create an emergency plan to keep themselves and loved ones safe,” Abbott said in the press release issued Friday.
TxDOT Laredo wrote in a post on X on Sunday: “Due to recent rains, flash flooding is a common occurrence and a leading cause of weather-related deaths in Texas. If you encounter a flooded road, ‘Turn Around, Don’t Drown.'”
What Happens Next?
Local NWS forecast offices and emergency management agencies will continue to monitor the weather and issue watches and warnings as conditions develop.
Residents in the affected areas should monitor official NWS products, local emergency alerts and forecasts and avoid driving through flooded roadways.
The NWS advisory is in effect until 8 a.m. ET on Monday, September 8.
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