Sep 18, 2019

Tropical Depression Imelda strikes southeast Texas

Rebecca Falconer

Tropical Depression Imelda lashed southeast Texas overnight — and the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center warns it could bring heavy rains and life-threatening flash floods.

The latest: A potentially significant flash flood event along the upper Texas coast and Houston may set up overnight, the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center tweeted just before 11pm ET. Schools across the region canceled Wednesday classes as a precaution, the Houston Chronicle reports.

What's next: Imelda is forecast to bring 6–12 inches of rain with isolated maximum amounts of 18 inches across the upper coastal region of Texas, including the areas of Houston and Galveston — which the New York Times notes is still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, which lingered over the city as a tropical storm in 2017.

  • Rainfall amounts of 4–6 inches with isolated totals of 10 inches were possible across portions of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana through Thursday, the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said in an advisory Tuesday.

The big picture: Per the Chronicle, Imelda made landfall in Brazoria County about 1pm CT with sustained winds close to 40 mph, just at the threshold for a NHC tropical storm classification.

  • It then weakened, but the potentially heavy rainfall means it remains a serious threat to affected regions.

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Axios

5th death linked to Tropical Storm Imelda

Highway 69 North on September 19 in Houston, Tex. Photo: Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images

Texas authorities linked a 5th death to the remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda Saturday, as receding floodwaters revealed the extent of the damage from one of the United States' wettest tropical cyclones on record, AP reports.

The impact: From Houston to across the Louisiana border, hundreds of buildings were damaged by the former tropical storm, according to AP. More than 40 inches of rain fell in southeast Texas over 4 days before floodwaters began receding Friday, per the National Weather Service. Several flood-impacted roads remained closed Saturday, Texas authorities said.

Go deeperArrowUpdated Sep 22, 2019
Rebecca Falconer

Powerful wintry snowstorm dumps 2 feet of snow across Northern Plains

A powerful early season snowstorm closed roads, as it continued to pummel the Northern Plains with blizzard conditions Saturday. Parts of the plains were hit by more than 2 feet of snow, and 3-10 inches were set to fall overnight, ABC News reports.

What they're saying: The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said, "Estimated observed snowfall over the past 72 hours depicts a rather large swath of 18-30 inches across portions of north central and northeast North Dakota." Forecasters warn some areas were set for the season's coldest night, with temperatures as low as 26 degrees expected overnight.

Go deeperArrowOct 13, 2019
Noa Yadidi

The Atlantic Basin's tropical storms and hurricanes in 2019

A pile of debris near the remains of a home destroyed by Hurricane Michael in Florida. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Hurricane Dorian became the first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic season when it made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on Sept. 1 in the Bahamas. At least 43 people in the Bahamas were killed with many others left missing. This season has, so far, seen four named hurricanes.

The big picture: NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a "near normal" season this year. It's also predicting a range of 9 to 15 named storms — 4 to 8 of which could become hurricanes.

Go deeperArrowUpdated Sep 23, 2019