HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS

HOUSTON, December 29, 2006 - THERE IS A NOW A SLIGHT TO MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE NEW MODERATE RISK AREA IS ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM MADISONVILLE TO PRAIRIE VIEW TO COLUMBUS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND INTENSIFY ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM BEGINS TO MOVE INTO WEST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON... THE AIRMASS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS IS EXPECTED TO BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE. SOME OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE. STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

A SQUALL LINE IS THEN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT TO THE WEST OF OUR AREA AND MOVES EASTWARD INTO OUR MORE MORE MOIST AND INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL INCREASE TONIGHT WITH DAMAGING WINDS BECOMING THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. ISOLATED
TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE.

IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...THERE IS A THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS THIS AFTERNOON ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE UNDER 1/2 INCH DUE TO FAST STORM SPEEDS. HIGHER AMOUNTS...POSSIBLE BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES...WILL BE POSSIBLE WHERE TRAINING DEVELOPS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH ISOLATED 3 TO 5 INCH TOTALS POSSIBLE. LOCALIZED STREET FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORMAL FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

THE SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT IS EXPECTED TO COME TO AN END BEFORE NOON ON SATURDAY MORNING.

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