…FLOODING RAINFALL AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS SPREADING INLAND OVER PORTIONS OF ARKANSAS…

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. Tropical storm warnings remain in effect inland over portions of northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, and extreme western Mississippi. For storm information specific to your area, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office www.weather.gov

A few tornadoes remain possible this evening, mainly across central and eastern Arkansas into Mississippi. The risk for a few tornadoes should redevelop Friday afternoon into the evening across parts of the Mid-South and Tennessee Valley regions.

At 4 p.m. CDT, the center of now Tropical Storm Laura was located inland about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Shreveport, La and about 130 miles (210 km) south-southwest of Little Rock, Ark. Laura is moving toward the north-northeast near 15 mph (24 km/h), and this motion should continue through tonight. A northeastward to east-northeastward motion is expected to begin on Friday and
continue into Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Laura is forecast to move over Arkansas tonight, the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday, the mid-Atlantic states on Saturday, and over the western Atlantic on Sunday.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles (150 km) from the center. Continued weakening is forecast to take place, and Laura is expected to weaken to a tropical depression this evening or overnight.

Laura is expected to produce the following additional rainfall totals through Friday:
– Over central and eastern Arkansas: 3 to 7 inches.
– Over southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi: 1 to 3 inches, with isolated additional totals of 5 inches.
– Isolated storm totals of 15 to 18 inches across southwest Louisiana.
– Over northern Mississippi, western Tennessee, & southeast Missouri: 1 to 3 inches, with isolated totals of 5 inches.
This rainfall will continue to cause widespread flash and urban
flooding, small streams and creeks to overflow their banks, and minor to moderate freshwater river flooding.

The next complete advisory will be issued by NHC at 4 p.m. CDT with an intermediate advisory at 7 p.m. CDT – www.hurricanes.gov

↓ At 12:56 pm ↓

↓ At 9:48 am ↓