Wet and Stormy Weather Pattern in Store for the Gulf Coast and Beyond

The Gulf Coast of the U.S. is going to be under the gun for flooding rainfall this week with the Atlantic coastline next in line to see the wrath of this slow-moving weather maker. Here is a closer look at this drenching storm that will impact several metro areas in the coming days.

Tropical Rainstorm Churning Over the Gulf Coast

It is shaping up to be a wet and stormy first week of September for the Gulf Coast and beyond. Forecasters predict that rainfall in the magnitude of inches will fall across the Interstate 10 corridor along the Gulf Coast before moving into the Southeast and to the north.

This rain is part of the same tropical rainstorm that unleashed heavy rain across some areas of Texas over the Labor Day weekend. The latest forecast models indicate that the storm will creep along at a slow pace across the Gulf Coast throughout the week, reaching the Atlantic coastline just in time for the weekend.

Some of the hardest-hit communities of central Texas and the coastal areas of the Lone Star State picked up rainfall amounts of up to 8 inches over the long weekend. The popular beach resort town of Galveston recorded 6.62 inches of rain in a period of 96 hours, washing away many holiday plans. The zone between Del Rio and San Angelo saw 3 to 4 inches of rain during this time period as the center of the rainstorm drifted farther inland.

As of the middle of the day Tuesday, the center of this area of low pressure was spinning across the central portion of the Texas coast. While meteorologists will continue to monitor this system for the development of defined tropical characteristics, it is not likely to intensify into a named storm.

Even in the absence of tropical organization, the storm has a good amount of life left in it. Forecasters are predicting that widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is likely with localized amounts of up to 8 inches also a possibility. Motorists using the Interstate 10 corridor stretching from eastern Texas and into Florida will want to be aware of the dangers of ponding on roadways and reduced visibility.

Central Texas will see the relief from this storm system by Wednesday evening. However, localized flash flooding is still possible after this time due to the excess of water that will linger. Coastal areas will also want to be cognizant of the potential of waterspout formation.

Looking Ahead to the End of the Week

Looking ahead to Thursday, the bulk of the rain will shift to the central Gulf Coast, zeroing in on the zone from Louisiana and to the Florida Panhandle. Some of the loaded rain bands will move as far inland as Interstate 20, complicating travel to the north. While the rain will cause disruptions to outdoor activities, the moisture is needed in the parts of the region that have registered levels of severe to extreme drought due to the dry summer.

For instance, Destin, Florida is forecast to see the rain pick up in intensity on Thursday. The beach town in the panhandle is forecast to record about a half of an inch of rain overnight Thursday and into Friday. The stormy conditions will stick around through at least Saturday. Winds will make it even more miserable, coming in at speeds of 10 to 20 mph. Daily high temperatures will hover in the low to mid 80s during this time frame.