More states under flash flood threat as San Diego recovers from devastating rain
Parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi were under flash flood warnings on Wednesday as torrential rain pounded the region and officials warned of “life-threatening” conditions.
The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted severe thunderstorms in parts of eastern Texas, southern Louisiana and central Mississippi. La Grange, Texas is already seeing flooded roadways on Wednesday morning, and several local school districts have either delayed or cancelled school, according to local outlet KXAN.
Intense rain also hit Baton Rouge, Louisiana mid-morning on Wednesday. Local footage showed cars attempting to move through high waters as the city sits under a flash flood warning. Woodville, Mississippi was also hit hard by rain, causing two roads to collapse, according to the NWS.
While these regions are under flash flood warnings, indicating imminent danger, much of the south was under a less severe flood watch on Wednesday.
The precise locations of intense flash flooding can be unpredictable because meteorologists can have difficulty knowing where heavy bands of thunderstorms will stall, according to the NWS New Orleans office.
Most of the NWS alerts will be in place through Wednesday, with some extending into Thursday. Officials are warning residents to stay inside and limit travel, as floodwaters bring the risk of cars being swept away.
In Texas, meteorologists say the rain should stop by the end of Wednesday, while New Orlenas, Louisiana won’t begin to dry up until early next week, according to the NWS.
The extreme conditions come as the city of San Diego in southern California recovers from life-threatening floods.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria declared a state of emergency earlier this week after torrential rain deluged the area, causing flash flooding which inundated people’s homes and cars.
Monday marked the fourth-wettest January day on record in San Diego County.
Hundreds of residents required rescue as they became trapped by floodwaters. The San Diego Fire Department also rescued 24 people along the San Diego and Tijuana rivers, the Associated Press reports.
San Antonio, Texas was also hit by flash floods and torrential rain on Monday. Some parts of the city saw 5 inches of rain while nearby Houston and Dallas were also soaked. Local firefighters are investigating whether rushing waters might have swept away five unhoused people in San Antonio Monday morning, fire department spokesperson Woody Woodward told the AP.
