Parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas are under severe weather watches early Friday as a storm system in the Gulf of Mexico threatens the region with high winds, hail, and the possibility of tornadoes, The Associated Press reports.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned residents to remain vigilant as the storm moves through the area.
The NWS office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, noted that heavy showers and thunderstorms were moving across Louisiana and the Gulf waters late Thursday night. While Southeast Texas was temporarily clear, the NWS urged residents to “please stay safe.”
Earlier in the day, the weather service issued a tornado warning for areas of Texas northeast of Houston, based on radar indicating a tornado was present. No immediate reports of damage have been received.
The severe weather has already impacted travel. A line of thunderstorms moving across Texas resulted in significant disruptions at major airports. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport experienced more than 100 flight delays and dozens of cancellations. Delays and thunderstorm-related cancellations were also reported at Dallas’ Love Field and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, according to FlightAware.
In response to the increased risk, Texas Governor Greg Abbott activated state emergency response resources to assist affected areas.
Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, said the greatest risk of severe weather is concentrated in a region of Texas east of Dallas, spanning areas between Houston and into southern Arkansas and western and northern Louisiana.
As the storms moved into southern Arkansas and western and northern Louisiana overnight, Hurley cautioned that holiday travelers could face potentially dangerous conditions.
