Big Storms Roll Across Gulf Coast as East Bakes With Record Heat
International News Regarding The Storms In The Gulf – Big Storms Roll Across Gulf Coast as East Bakes With Record Heat
A storm system that churned up violent tornadoes across the central United States over the weekend, killing at least four people and causing extensive damage, moved over the region on Monday, posing a serious threat to states along the Gulf Coast.
Forecasters warned that Monday could see record heat elsewhere on the East Coast, with highs in the mid-Atlantic region predicted to approach 90 degrees.
Strong thunderstorms threatened severe wind gusts, big hail, and flash floods, with up to two to three inches of rain falling in some places every hour, as they moved across southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas this morning and into the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
By the evening, it was predicted that the worst of the thunderstorms and heavy rain would be offshore.
As per the state transportation department, commuters in Houston had to drive through floodwaters that covered roads.
Citing extreme forecasts, a number of school districts in Texas and Louisiana canceled classes or postponed the first bell by at least an hour on Monday. The Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport was closed due to inclement weather, according to officials.
As the storms moved across the region on Monday afternoon, over 48,000 homes and businesses in Texas and Louisiana were without electricity. Following a series of storms that tore through the central United States over the weekend, thousands of people in Oklahoma and Arkansas were also without power.
Following Monday morning’s flooding, the National Weather Service in Houston issued a warning on X, formerly Twitter, stating that roads were closed.
“As you head out this morning, be aware there are several roadways closed or almost impassable due to flooding,” the National Weather Service stated.
A pickup that looked to be abandoned in between lanes of a highway was overtaken by floodwaters in the town of Lufkin, according to a photo that authorities in the eastern part of the Lone Star state shared on social media on Monday morning.
Transportation officials reported that flooding on highways in the coastal town of Cove, about 35 miles east of Houston, caused traffic jams both north and south.
Authorities warned drivers to avoid making needless travel on Monday after other areas surrounding Houston reported a high risk of roadway flooding.
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