Rain and strong thunderstorms are likely on Thursday, and the threat encompasses most of our daytime hours.
The highest likelihood of seeing severe storms looks to be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., which means both the morning and afternoon commute may be impacted. Our primary threat is damaging winds, and a few tornadoes are possible. In addition to our severe threat, there is also a minor flood threat with 1-2″ of rainfall possible.
Severe threat:
Although the risk of severe weather is highest north of I-10, all of Southeast Texas is under a risk for severe weather.
Our primary threats are tornadoes and damaging winds. SE Texas does not see tornadoes often, but it certainly can happen.
The last time we saw this high of a risk for severe weather in SE Texas was in January when an EF-3 tornado tore through Pasadena. When it comes to a tornado threat the most important thing is to have a plan.
Prepare ahead of the storms:
I’m a firm believer that there’s never a need to panic when you can prepare! Here are some things you can do to be ready.
- Identify the safe room in your home that you can go to if you are told to take shelter during a tornado warning.
- Find a spot on the lowest level of your home without any windows. You want to have as many walls between your safe room and the outside as possible. The best room for this is typically an interior bathroom, closet or pantry.
- Make sure you have enough space inside your safe room for your entire household, including pets.
- If you live in a mobile home, I urge you to have a plan. Thursday would be a good day to find a neighbor or friend who you can stay with while the storm threat passes. The storm threat is during daytime hours, and there are also a lot of places you can go that are sturdy shelters.
For example, many retail stores like Walmart do not have windows and are sturdy structures.
- Secure or bring in outdoor decorations and equipment that could become projectiles in a high wind event.
- Trim trees around your home. This can help reduce the amount of damage that lose limbs can cause should high winds knock them down.
Flood Threat:
Although the severe threat is greater, there is also a risk for heavy rainfall that could quickly cause minor street flooding. If you have a very flexible job and can work from home, Thursday is a great day to do it. The image below shows a forecast rainfall accumulation. Do not focus on where you live, but instead on the general trend that shows between 1-2″ of rainfall is possible with higher amounts in some isolated spots.
- BOOKMARK THIS: Exclusive KPRC 2 Flood Tracker
The highest rainfall totals will be determined tomorrow when the thunderstorms setup and move through.
Our flood threat is low, because we are expecting any storms that form to be moving (i.e. not stationary) which lowers our flood threat, but there is still a chance for street flooding, especially in construction zones, low-lying areas, poor-drainage areas and of course the classic trouble spots around Houston.
Stay informed:
The KPRC 2 Storm Tracker Team will bring you live coverage throughout the storm threat Thursday.
If you lose power due to storms, you can stream us on a smart phone or tablet through our free KPRC 2+ app on your connected TV or smartphone.
Our live coverage can also be streamed at www.click2houston.com/watchlive