Texas, Louisiana brace for flooding, watch for possible storm

A tropical depression moving along the Texas coast could become the first named storm of the Atlantic storm season, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday. The low-pressure system was expected to strengthen later Wednesday, possibly becoming a tropical storm, before moving inland over Louisiana. The National Weather Service said there was a 60% chance a storm would form in the next 2-7 days. However, the suspect weather system could also weaken by Thursday morning, the center said.

In the meantime, forecasters expected the storm to drop 5 to 10 inches of rain through Friday—though in some areas, nearly 20 inches could fall, according to the National Hurricane Center. Along with Texas and Louisiana, other states should also expect rain and potentially life-threatening flash flooding, the center said. Those flood warnings extended to Mississippi, Alabama, portions of Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle. Forecasters also warned of a 2- to 4-foot storm surge of ocean water along coastal areas.

Some flooding has already occurred in central Texas, leading to several water rescues and one death. A woman in Bandera County died after her car was swept into a high, fast-moving creek, according to the sheriff’s office. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for 101 counties and ordered 24-hour operations at the state’s emergency response center.

Dig deeper: Read my report on a deadly accident involving a Virginia church tent caught in high winds.