Heavy rain expected Thursday, but will clear in time for Memorial Day weekend

Published 5:33 pm Wednesday, May 25, 2016

After years of drought, this year’s string of storms doesn’t look to be ending anytime soon.

“We’ve got a (storm) that’s going to be moving eastward,” KYTX CBS19 Chief Meteorologist John Adams said. “There’s a chance of rain late afternoon Thursday continuing through the day Friday.”

Adams said the heaviest rainfall will occur Thursday night and continue through Friday.

The storm brings a marginal risk of severe weather on Thursday, which will increase to a slight risk by Friday. The main threats will be damaging winds and large hail.

The northern portion of Smith County still is reeling from the flash flooding and tornadoes that hit at the end of April. Although May has seen little rain, cleanup efforts are expected to continue for months to come.

“Rainfall by Saturday night could be 4.5 inches in some place,” Adams said. “Most areas of East Texas will see 2 to 4 inches.”

That total would mean more rain will come over the two-day period than the rest of the month combined. May has remained relatively dry with just 1.61 inches compared to the nearly 7 inches in April and 8 inches in March, both of which saw area flooding.

On the same weekend in late April that a tornado devastated rural parts of Lindale, a flash flooding incident claimed the lives of six in Palestine when 7.5 inches of rain fell in less than an hour.

Twitter: @TMT_Cory