Three southern states are facing tornado threats and severe thunderstorms accompanied by a risk of flash flooding, just days after battling freezing temperatures and snow.
Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas are likely in the path of a thunderstorm on Thursday and Friday. All three states were subject to an arctic blast that affected much of the United States around Christmas.
These storms caused power outages and plunged temperatures in Louisiana and East Texas. Some areas in Arkansas recorded freezing temperatures. Thermometers have begun to return to normal and all three states are back to typical winter behavior, but face threats of isolated thunderstorms and tornadoes.
On Wednesday, The Weather Channel meteorologist Scot Pilié tweeted a warning about possible storms.
“Careful! Few strong-severe storms possible Thursday through Friday,” she tweeted. “Primary risk of gusty winds, isolated tornado, and flash flooding.”
His forecast showed that many areas on the Gulf Coast could see 1 to 2 inches of rain, with some areas getting more than 3 inches.
Pilié shared several forecast images with his tweet, showing storms are possible in a swath several hundred miles long from south of Lufkin, Texas, northeast to Little Rock, Arkansas.
Flash flood risks point to a larger area, stretching from southern Houston to far southern Illinois, with the highest risk in eastern Texas, western Louisiana and south-central Arkansas.
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