NOW… …FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM FRIDAY MORNING…

Tropical Storm Cindy has begun to make landfall near the Texas and Louisiana coast. Scattered showers will begin to become more widespread, with periods of heavy rain possible during the morning hours. Winds will also gradually increase during the morning, with occasional gusts to over 25 mph possible at times.

A tight pressure gradient associated with the movement of Tropical Storm Cindy will produce strong and gusty winds of 15 to 25 MPH with higher gusts to near 30 to isolated 40 MPH.

Tropical Storm Cindy will bring heavy rainfall and the potential for flash flooding to much of East Texas, North Louisiana and extreme South Arkansas through early Friday.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy will move north across extreme Eastern Texas and Western Louisiana today, before a gradual shift to the northeast across Northwest Louisiana and Southern Arkansas tonight through early Friday morning. Periods of locally heavy rainfall near the center of circulation can be expected across all these areas. Widespread heavy rainfall of two to four inches is expected through Friday morning, with isolated higher amounts of six to eight inches possible mainly across portions of extreme Eastern Texas, Northwest Louisiana, and South Central Arkansas.

Flooding of roads, low lying and poor drainage areas will be possible. If encountering flooded roadways, remember to turn around, don’t drown.

Rainbands associated with Tropical Storm Cindy will begin to move into the region this evening. Although rainfall amounts will be moderate overall, individual showers and thunderstorms will be very efficient rainfall producers, and some localized flash flooding will be possible.

A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect from 7 pm this evening through Friday morning.

Thursday through Tuesday: Possible flood-producing rainfall in association with Tropical Storm Cindy will continue to be possible through Friday morning. At this time, rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches will be possible across portions of the region with isolated higher amounts, which will depend greatly on the exact track of Cindy. Even as the remnants of the tropical system move north and east of our region by the weekend, plentiful Gulf moisture will remain in place with a series of upper level disturbances expected to bring even more rainfall into the region for the upcoming weekend.