Texas has received various weather warnings as a low-pressure system brings the threat of thunderstorms, tornadoes and flash flooding to the northeast and the risk of wildfires to the south.
The northeastern part of the state has received flood warnings, advisories and watches, as well as alerts for hazardous weather. Meanwhile, the southwest is under red-flag warnings, and the far south has received a fire-weather watch.
In March, the Texas Panhandle was engulfed by large wildfires, including one that became the largest in the state's history and the second-largest in the U.S. The fire prompted evacuations, a disaster declaration and a statewide firefighting effort.
In a forecast, the National Weather Service said the latest weather front to move across the south would bring "sprawling areas" of heavy rain and severe thunderstorms to eastern Texas, before moving into Arkansas and Louisiana later on April 9. However, it is expected to expand into the Texas Panhandle Tuesday night.
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Strong thunderstorms are set to make a return to eastern Texas the following day, before moving toward Florida on April 11.
"Heavy rain could lead to flooding concerns from the Texas Panhandle tonight, with the highest threat across the Mid-South through Wednesday, before spreading into the Midwest and lower Great Lakes early on Thursday," the meteorological agency wrote in a statement published on April 9. "Winds will become increasingly strong and gusty as the low-pressure system becomes quite strong by Thursday morning."
Flood warnings are in place for Denton Creek near Justin, where minor flooding is occurring; along the Sulphur River near Cooper, where moderate flooding is forecast to occur as rainfall intensifies; and the Sabine River near Quinlan, where minor flooding is expected.
The NWS also said the storms would bring large hail, damaging winds and possibly a few tornadoes to north, central, south and east Texas from Tuesday afternoon.
Tornado season, when the most twisters are seen, typically runs from March to June in Texas. The state faces a high risk of damage due to tornadoes, making it one of the most expensive for home insurance in 2024, according to Insurify, an insurance-comparison site.
While damage to roofs, windows and doors were common claims, "homeowners in areas like Tornado Alley might need a separate windstorm insurance policy to cover tornado damages if wind damage isn't specified in their policy," Cassie Sheets, a spokesperson for the company, told Newsweek.
She added that in 2023, home insurance in Texas cost $4,456 on average—$2,079 above the national average.
In the Texas Panhandle, winds gusting at up to 60 miles an hour and hail reaching the diameter of a golf ball are expected through Tuesday, while thunderstorms are expected to persist in the region, leading to flooding concerns.
In February, northeast Texas faced a similar threat of thunderstorms and large hail due to another low-pressure system, marking an early arrival of intense cyclogenic weather for the region.
The strong winds from the low-pressure system have raised the risk of wildfires catching and spreading more rapidly.
A red-flag warning—given when humidity is low while there are erratic winds—is in place for the Big Bend region south of the Highway 90 corridor, as humidity is set to dip as low as 8 percent and winds may gust at up to 45 miles an hour.
Similar strength winds are set to develop over the southernmost part of the state, leaving the potential for critical fire-weather conditions to develop in the region by Wednesday afternoon.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Aleks Phillips is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. ... Read more
