Heavy downpours over parts of Louisiana and Texas this week have caused significant flooding, meteorologists and officials said, and more rain is forecast to soak the region through the end of the week.
As of Wednesday morning, Industry, Texas, a town west of Houston, and Fayetteville, between Austin and Houston, had received more than 10 inches of rain each, according to the National Weather Service.
Conditions were so bad Wednesday in San Jacinto County, north of Houston, that a local judge issued a disaster declaration and officials announced a voluntary evacuation of Camilla Twin Harbor and Cedar Valley because of rising water from a nearby river.
Parts of Louisiana were also battered this week with heavy rain, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans, which each received more than two inches of rain on Wednesday.
Other parts of Louisiana saw even heavier rain, including in St. Tammany Parish, where between six and eight inches of rain fell before 5 p.m., according to Fox8Live, a local television station. Flash flooding was also reported in other cities, including Garyville and Mandeville.
While residents across the region attempt to dry out, they will be met with more rain and possible flooding in the coming days.
As of Thursday morning, nearly 36 million people from southeast Texas to southwest North Carolina were under a flood watch.
There was also slight risk of excessive rainfall on Thursday from the Central Gulf Coast through the Southern Appalachians, according to the Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.
Rainfall totals for Thursday will be modest compared to previous days, forecasters said, with localized amounts up to two inches. However, after much of the region received upward of six inches or more over the last 36 hours, any additional rain may cause scattered instances of flash flooding.
Into the southern Appalachians, the rainfall on Thursday may reach up to three inches but likely will not cause significant problems because the region has been relatively dry in recent days.