A winter storm driven by El Nino which has clashed against a remarkably saturated Gulf wind has brought catastrophic flooding across central and eastern Texas and parts of the Texas Hill Country on Monday. The storm continues to slowly make its way across the region, threatening additional rounds of rain for the already flood-weary area through today. AccuWeather.com reports that it will take until Friday (April 22, 2016) before enough dry air busts into the front from the northwest, effectively bringing an end to the rounds of downpours and sending a weakened version of the storm off to the east.
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Flooding Continues to Take its Toll on Texas
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Photo: www.cnn.com
The storm, which brought record amounts of snow in Colorado (nearly 52 inches reported in Denver) followed by tornadoes and heavy rainfall across Texas and Oklahoma, continues to leave widespread damage in its wake. In excess of 17 inches of rain has fallen in southeastern parts of Texas as well as along the state coast, leaving recently planted crops, farms and homes flooded and badly damaged. Tornado outbreaks resulting from the storm also threatened parts of the state on Tuesday, causing many farmers to suspend their planting.
Photo: mysanantonio.com
Large areas of the Texas Hill Country experienced flooding on the Pedernales and Guadalupe rivers, and just west of Austin, residents in Marble Falls were advised to be vigilant for rising creeks and streams that feed the Highland Lakes region. A number of fatalities have resulted in the city of Houston (now totaling 7), which is unfortunately expected to rise as rescuers work to assist the stranded and firefighters reach parts of the city where flooding has begun to recede.
Photo: globalnews.ca
Residents and motorists are current under advisement to remain cautious over the coming days as less-intense storms could cause new rapid flooding incidents in low-lying areas, along streets and highways. This warning comes from the National Weather Service (NWS) as additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms form nearby and are expected to cover portions of Texas that have already been hard-hit by “historic” torrential rainfall.
Photo: truthfrequencyradio.com
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has since declared a state of disaster for several counties across Texas, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner advised residents to stay home, noting that navigating flood waters was too dangerous to risk. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to return to much of the Plains states this Sunday and into the following week. Residents are cautioned that the chance of localized flooding and severe weather could return with the anticipated downpours.
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