Batten down the hatches and load up the ark for a rainy week ahead in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The deluge began Sunday with about an inch-and-a-half of rain, although it must have felt like more to the motorists who found themselves stalled in high water. Meanwhile, a tornado warning sent households (including mine) scrambling for their closets, and there were reports of some damage from a possible tornado in North Dallas—including at an especially unlucky home damaged in tornadoes in October 2019. It’s springtime in Dallas!
Count on more rain, at the very least. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for all of North Texas through Wednesday morning, with up to six more inches of rain expected by the end of the week. There’s potential for hail and winds up to 60 mph, with the next round of potentially severe storms likely rolling in tonight and overnight, says Patricia Sanchez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. The most serious threat will persist into Tuesday.
The rain will remain “hit or miss” with thunderstorm chances continuing through Saturday. Things should clear up Sunday and next Monday. And we’ll see some breaks today. (I caught a glimpse of sunshine near White Rock around the time I was writing this sentence Monday morning.) Highs will be in the high 70s or low 80s.
Sanchez shared a few tips on staying safe (if not totally dry) during the downpour this week and amid potentially severe weather through Wednesday:
- If you have to drive, don’t try to drive through flooded streets. “Turn around, don’t drown” is the preferred slogan.
- Have a plan in case of severe weather, and have “multiple ways” to get weather alerts. (Shortly before the tornado sirens sounded yesterday, I got an emergency alert on my phone, and I’ve found the Channel 8 app to be pretty solid for frequent weather updates.)
- “Keep an eye on things every day of the week,” Sanchez says. Forecasts can change. “Of course, bring an umbrella.”
We’ll update this post as our very wet week continues. Stay dry out there.
