BREAKING NEWS Cherokee County under tornado watch

May 08, 2019

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Cherokee and surrounding counties, through 11 p.m. today, Wednesday, May 8 – the 153rd of the year.

According to the NWS’s website, “a watch means that conditions are favorable for a tornado to occur. “A warning means that a tornado has been seen or picked up by radar.”

Forecasters with he NWS's Storm Prediction Center reported storms will continue to intensify across east/southeast Texas toward the ArkLaTex vicinity this afternoon in areas along/south of an effective front. Adequate deep-layer shear and increase in low-level shear through late today will support bowing segments/mesovortices and a few semi-discrete supercells.

Damaging winds and a few tornadoes are the main expectations into this evening across the region.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 85 statute miles and south of a line from 45 miles east of Shreveport to 10 miles west southwest of College Station.

Other counties under the current watch include Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches and Rusk.

The Flood Warning continues for the Neches River near Alto.

* Until further notice... or until the warning is cancelled.

* At 1:15 PM Wednesday the stage was 18.8 feet.

* Moderate flooding is occurring and moderate flooding is forecast.

* Flood stage is 16 feet.

* Forecast... the river will continue rising to near 19.2 feet by
Saturday early afternoon then begin falling.

* Impact... at 19.0 feet... preparations should be completed for a
moderate flood. Barns and farm buildings near the river will be
threatened by high water. In addition, ranchers should have
completed moving cattle and equipment to higher ground.

The Flood Warning continues for the Neches River near Neches.

* Until further notice... or until the warning is cancelled.

* At 1:45 PM Wednesday the stage was 15.7 feet.

* Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.

* Flood stage is 12 feet.

* Forecast... the river will continue rising to near 16.5 feet by
Friday evening then begin falling.

* Impact... at 18.0 feet... expect moderate to severe flooding of river
bottoms with some camps and access roads flooded.