By T. Scott Boatright
Between the end of winter and a brief spring in May, April has become storm season for north Louisiana in recent years.
And for the second time in three days, the National Weather Service Office in Shreveport and the Lincoln Parish Department of Homeland Security and Preparedness is warning parish residents to be mindful of potential severe weather that could begin here as early as this afternoon.
The NWS on Thursday night had placed all of north Louisiana from the Texas state line to the Mississippi State line in an area warned of an enhanced risk of severe weather through 7 a.m. Saturday. The enhanced risk area extends to just north of El Dorado, Arkansas, and southerly to Alexandria.
“These situations are always fluid and the risk chances could be downgraded or upgraded by midday (today),” said Lincoln Parish Department of Homeland Sercutiry and Preparedness Director Kip Franklin. “The most important thing for parish residents to do is to remind mindful of the situation and stay alert and aware. Updates will be issued as they become necessary.”
The NWS advised that the area of enhanced risk includes primary threats of damaging winds between 70 – 80 mph, large hail up to half dollar- to golf ball-size, and low but still existing chance of chance of isolatedtornadoes. Any upgrade coming later today would make those threats even greater.
“In addition to the severe weather threat, locally heavy rainfall can be expected with this storm system which could pose a flood threat across more flood prone areas of deep east Texas, northern Louisiana and south central Arkansas,” the NWS said in its advisory.
The NWS advisory said that storm chances will remain early next week, but not as threating — maybe.
“Additional thunderstorms are possible into next workweek,” the NWS advisory said. “The severe threat appears at this time that it will be lower then … However, it is April.”