Tropical Disturbance in Gulf May Bring Heavy Rain to Houston Area

A tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico is poised to deliver heavy rainfall to the Houston area and parts of Southeast Texas from late Thursday through early Saturday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The system, currently a broad area of low pressure off the Alabama coast, has remained disorganized after crossing Florida earlier this week. While it's not expected to make landfall in Houston, its outer bands could bring significant rain to the region.

"Our rain chances aren't going to be as high as we initially expected, but we still could get some of those outer rain showers," said NWS meteorologist Haley Adams. "We have some just to the east of our area that are working their way over."

The NWS has issued a marginal risk of excessive rainfall for Friday and Saturday along and east of Interstate 45, with a greater risk in eastern Chambers County on Friday. Localized flooding is possible, especially in low-lying areas.

CenterPoint Energy is monitoring the situation and is prepared to activate its summer storm readiness plan if necessary. The company encourages customers to sign up for Power Alert Service to receive updates about outages and restoration efforts.

Residents are advised to stay informed by monitoring local weather updates and to take necessary precautions to ensure safety during potential heavy rainfall and flooding.