The Weather Blog

Storm Reports

There have been numerous reports of severe weather this afternoon. Here is the preliminary report:

• 2:45 PM - Trees down in Grapeland and Latexo.
• 2:55 PM - Trees down on Trout Street in Kirbyville.
• 3:08 PM - Tree fell on a house on 5th Street in Crockett.
• 3:10 PM - Trees and power lines down between Crockett and Kennard.
• 3:10 PM - Cherokee County Sheriffs Dept. reports numerous trees down in souther parts of the county.
• 3:40 PM - Trees down in Apple Springs.
• 3:40 PM - 65 MPH wind gust in Center.
• 3:45 PM - Trees down in Shelby county. Power reported out in several communities.
• 3:50 PM - Viewer reports a large tree on top of a law office in Center.

Severe Weather Update-3:15pm

It continues to remain very active this afternoon in the weather department.

As of 3:15pm, we still have several East Texas counties under Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.

We have a **Severe Thunderstorm Warning** in effect until the bottom of the hour for southern parts of Cherokee county.  Cities and towns that will be affected include Rusk, Alto, and Wells.  This also includes points and interests along Highway 69 this afternoon.  The main threats with these storms will be wind gusts over 60mph, and nickel size hail.

**Severe Thunderstorm Warnings** are also in effect for Houston county until 4pm, or another 45 minutes.  There is a line of storms extending from 25 miles northeast of Grapeland to 7 miles southwest of Grapeland.  This complex is moving to the southeast at 20 to 30 mph.  If you live in Latexo, Grapeland, Crockett, and Kennard, prepare for these storms to arrive in your community within the next half hour.

We also have **Severe Thunderstorm Warnings** in effect until 3:45pm for Rusk and Panola counties.  I am concerned about these storms, as they have had a history of producing damaging winds up in the Tyler area earlier this afternoon.  Areas that will be impacted include Mount Enterprise, Henderson, Carthage, and Center. 

It will continue to remain active for the next several hours.

If you have any reports of severe weather, please email them to our weather department at weather@ktre.com. 

Also, for continuing coverage, feel free to check out our live streaming courtesy of Chief Meteorologist Conley Isom and KTRE-TV for live radar updates.

Remember, **We are Your Umbrella of Protection!!**

Storm Complex Rolling In-2:45 Update

A complex of storms which originated in Oklahoma last night, is now rolling into East Texas this afternoon.

As of 2:45pm, we have numerous Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in effect for the next 30 to 45 minutes.  The counties underneath warnings include:  Anderson, Cherokee, Houston, Rusk, and Newton counties. 

The main threat with these storms will be damaging, straight line winds of 60 mph or greater.

Make sure to bring in or secure any loose items, such as trash cans and patio furniture.  Winds could easily toss these objects around if they are not secured.

In addition to the wind threat, there will also be heavy, blinding downpours, along with frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. 

Chief Meteorologist Conley Isom will be streaming live on our home webpage. 

Keep it tuned to KTRE-TV and ktre.com for updates on the storms this afternoon.

***We Are Your Umbrella of Protection.***

American Red Cross

From the Associated Press:

"Jeff Towers, the organization's chief development officer, said the balance for domestic disaster relief efforts is zero. He said the American Red Cross would borrow to keep workers and volunteers in the field helping flood victims.

"The Red Cross remains committed to providing the scale of services that people expect of the Red Cross when disaster strikes, and the way that we are doing that right now is taking out loans to fund our response," he said during a conference call from Washington. "That's not a position we want to be in; it's obviously not sustainable."

The shortage in the organization's only domestic disaster relief fund comes as it continues flood relief efforts in soaked Iowa and ramps up its work downstream in Illinois and Missouri as more flooding is expected there. Officials said the Red Cross has 2,500 workers on the ground, 89 percent of them volunteers."

This could become a real problem if a major hurricane hits the United States this year. The Red Cross does a lot for disaster victims and it would be a shame to see the organization fail.

Father's Day

I want to wish each of you dads out there a Happy Father's Day.

Despite the fact I work on the weekends, I was fortunate enough to make a trip back home to visit my dad the past couple of days.

Each day and week and year that go by, I am always more amazed at how wonderful my dad is. 

He went to college, got a degree in chemical engineering, and then worked hard for many years.  The thing I admire about him most is that he puts his family first.  He is a guy you can talk to and someone you can relate to on many levels.

I'm sure your dad has many of these same qualities that make him special.  Make sure to take time tomorrow to honor your dad and thank him for all that he does for you and your family.

Fatalities in Iowa

"Four are dead at a Boy Scout Camp near Little Sioux, Iowa from an apparent tornado that touched down earlier Wednesday evening. As many as 40 people may be injured at the camp, about one hour north of Omaha. Officials said many of the injuries were head injuries." from WOWT

Very sad night in the Midwest. Storms have erupted leading to numerous reports of tornadoes. Over 30 reports of tornadoes have come in from central Kansas up through western Iowa. In addition, these storms are going to cause more flooding in areas that are already flooded. Keep those in Iowa in your thoughts and prayers.

Some Much Needed Rain!

Even though it was a wet start to our Tuesday, I do not think many of us minded the rain because we needed it. On top of that, no severe weather was reported. Talk about a win/win situation! Our Rainvision tool shows on average, most of us received between 1-2 inches of rain. However, a few spots saw over 2 inches! This rain will help stop our slide towards a drought. Before today, we were over 4 inches below normal for rain for the year. The good news is we have more rain in the forecast so hopefully we can pick up several more inches! 

Storms May Offer Little Relief from Heat

Other than our typical seabreeze showers, things have been downright on the hot and toasty side this afternoon.

However, there is a cool front that has pushed into north Texas and central Oklahoma today.  As you can see, it has triggered a complex of showers and storms that continues to move off to the east and southeast.

If some of these storms hold together, then they could possibly bring some beneficial rains to our northern counties.

In fact, there is a 50/50 shot at picking up some rain overnight in the areas shaded in blue.  That includes areas such as Rusk, Henderson, Carthage, and Center.

Central portions of East Texas, as indicated by the green, have a 40% chance of seeing some rain, while our southern counties have just the slimmest of chances.

We do need some rain and this is one of those opportunities that we might be able to cash in on.  Let's cross our fingers and do a rain dance shall we?

Funny Stuff

The following report came from the severe weather across the Plains on Thursday night....

0345 Pm 06/05/2008
Tstm Wnd Dmg 4 N Wakeeney 39.08n 99.88w Trego Ks Law Enforcement
Several Power Poles Were Blown Down. Elephants With A Circus Were Spooked By The Thunderstorm And Were Running Loose In Wakeeney.

:)

Kite Flying Weather

Over the next several days, it will remain warm across East Texas but we will have a nice southerly breeze. And by breeze, I mean a strong wind. As a powerful storm system pushes into the central Plains, the pressure gradient between the area of low pressure and high pressure to our east, will tighten. This means winds will pick up, gusting over 30 mph in the afternoons. So if you plan to be out on East Texas lakes, be careful because the waves be rough. This would be a good time to fly those kites! A fun, summer activity to get outdoors and enjoy.