Thursday, October 22, 2009
Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms moved into the area Wednesday night and were expected to persist through Thursday afternoon, said C.S. Ross, hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
"We can expect a good one to two inches of widespread rainfall, and a few locations may receive up to three inches," said Ross.
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The weather system that moved in Wednesday is a combination of a cold front that is expected to traverse the area on Thursday and the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Rick, which made landfall Tuesday evening on the western shore of Mexico.
"There will be some lingering light drizzle through Thursday evening, clearing west to east by Friday," said Ross.
Added rainfall means continued flooding for Caddo Lake and those who have made their homes along its banks.
"This morning's pool stage was down to 175 feet and will continue to slowly fall through Thursday morning," said Ross.
"But the rainfall expected Wednesday and Thursday creates a potential for another minor rise for Caddo Lake and continued flooding of Uncertain, Karnack, Cypress Village and Caddo Lake State Park," he said.
Caddo Lake crested Tuesday at 175.2 feet. The lake's flood stage is 172.
"They're going to have problems there for quite a while as the lake slowly recedes," said Ross.
"The lake only drops about 8 inches a day with ideal conditions."
The ground is still nearly saturated, and while weather this past weekend did dry us out a bit, the added precipitation may bring flash flooding conditions while the rain persists today.
"The system will move through fairly fast and not linger like past systems did for several days," added Ross.
Other regional flooding continues along the Sabine River with the monitoring location in Longview expected to crest Saturday at 33.5 feet.
The Sabine River's flood stage is 25 feet, said Ross.
"It will crest in the Beckville and Tatum areas and at Highway 59 on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of next week.
"These areas are also at flood stage," said Ross.
Some cattle will have to be moved to higher ground due to the Sabine River flooding, and several oil fields have become isolated due to high water.
Contact Terri Hahn: 903-927-8918 or thahn@marshallnewsmessenger.com.
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