Tropical Storm Cindy is bearing down on the Gulf Coast and has Texas in its sights, but what does that mean for Dallas? Not that much, actually. The…
Tropical Storm Cindy is churning in the Gulf of Mexico, and has parts of Texas in its sight, but what does that mean for Dallas?
Not that much, actually.
The third tropical storm of the year, Cindy is forecast to make landfall Thursday over western Louisiana and eastern Texas, before swinging further northeast.
Based on its current track, the heavy rain is expected to stay further east from Dallas-Fort Worth, closer to Toledo Bend, along the Sabine River, and Shreveport, meteorologist Jason Godwin with the National Weather Service said.
Other Texas cities further southeast, such as Houston, could see some rain as well.
Unrelated to the tropical storm, the Dallas area could still see some showers over the weekend with a cold front that’s expected to move down from Oklahoma, Godwin said.
There’s a chance of around a quarter of an inch of rain on Saturday and Sunday, with up to an inch possible in some places.
The storm could also bring temperatures down to highs in the mid-80s on Sunday, he said.
Bracing for impact
The tropical storm formed Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico, hovering south of Louisiana as it churned tides and spun bands of heavy, potentially flooding rain onto the central and eastern Gulf Coast.
The Louisiana National Guard dispatched high water vehicles and helicopters into flood-prone areas. The state said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was moving 125,000 meals and 200,000 liters of water into Louisiana.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu urged vigilance as bands of rain from the system swept over the city. Forecasts said the system could dump from a few inches to more than a foot. At worst, the storm could flood neighborhoods outside the city’s levee system and cause flash flooding even in protected areas.
Workers on Grand Isle, a barrier island community south of New Orleans, worked to reinforce a rock levee protecting the island’s vulnerable west side. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency because of the threat of torrential rains and other severe weather.
Here’s what meteorologists at KXAS-TV (NBC5) have in the forecast for Dallas:
Wednesday: 92/73 Thursday: 89/75,40 to 60 percent chance of thunderstorms Friday: 93/76, up to 20 percent chance of thunderstorms Saturday: 94/77, up to 20 percent chance of thunderstorms Sunday: 85/73,40 to 60 percent chance of thunderstorms
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
