Bill downgraded to tropical depression, flash flood warnings

Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 6:44 AM - Bill officially made landfall in Texas Tuesday, bringing intense rainfall to a state that can barely absorb it.

The storm achieved tropical status overnight Monday, and dropped down to a tropical depression at around 1 a.m. CDT Wednesday.

Bill is moving toward the north with maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h. The storm is expected to weaken and become a post-tropical low by Thursday.

Although Bill has been downgraded, total rain accumulations of up to 200 mm are possible over eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma, with up to 150 mm over western Arkansas and southern Missouri. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Flash flood warnings and watches are in place in parts of eastern Texas. Brief tornadoes are also forecasted over parts of eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma.

But even before it arrived overland, the storm's effects were already upon people in seaside communities, with storm surge and coastal flooding widespread.

That's a serious problem for people in those areas, who have already been hammered by record rains in recent weeks (May was officially the wettest month ever recorded in the U.S., with 140 trillion litres of water falling on Texas alone).

The result was widespread and catastrophic flooding, resulting in at least 23 deaths and wrecked infrastructure.

After that deluge, the area simply can't absorb much more rain, which explains why authorities aren't mincing their words about the danger.

"The ground across the area is still wet and nearly saturated in some locations, and it will only take a short period of heavy rain to create runoff," The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned Monday. "Street flooding will be likely during the watch period. Small stream and Bayou flooding threat will increase as well Tuesday after a few rounds of heavy rains have moved into the area."

In Texas, summer school classes and activities were cancelled in many communities Tuesday, and some voluntary evacuation orders are in place, with some coastal roads already flooded with storm surge.

Emergency measures organizations have set up emergency response centres.

SOURCES: The Weather Network | National Hurricane Center | ABC