Five stories that have North Texas talking: the Memorial Day weekend forecast calls for rain; rising lake levels could pose problems for boaters; expect more folks on the road and in the skies this weekend; and more.
It will be a stormy Memorial Day weekend. Another storm system is coming in Saturday afternoon and Sunday, the National Weather Service says. There’s a chance for damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding and isolated tornadoes. Areas to the north and west of Dallas-Fort Worth will get the most rain – and are at the highest risk of flooding. This includes Cooke, Wise and Parker counties. Three to six inches of rain are possible. “The good news is that the atmosphere looks a little less favorable for tornadoes than the last few rounds of storms, but that possibility still exists,” the weather service says. By the way, as of Thursday, D/FW International Airport has recorded 21.54 inches of rain – more than all of 2014 when the airport saw 21.32 inches, the weather service reports.
- The rising lake levels could create problems for boaters and other folks wanting to head out to area lakes for Memorial Day weekend. The Dallas Morning News reports: “While boat ramps on Grapevine Lake are open, almost all parks and boat ramps at Lavon Lake, Lewisville and Lake Ray Roberts are closed, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ‘So that will slow things down on Memorial Day weekend, said Denton County game warden Logan Griffin of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Spots that were high and dry just a couple of months ago, before the North Texas drought ended in a deluge, have been inundated. And beneath the surface, potentially troublesome surprises await, Griffin said.” Read more here. [The Dallas Morning News]
- The end of a yearlong catastrophic drought in Wichita Falls has been followed by threats of possible flooding. Officials on Wednesday opened an emergency operations center and advised residents to prepare for potential flooding. Recent heavy rain in the area has helped restore lakes and reservoirs to more normal levels following the crippling drought situation. The high-water warning came a day after the Wichita Falls City Council eased the drought restriction level from the worst, Stage 5, to a lesser Stage 3 emergency. The city of more than 100,000 had been under critical Stage 5 restrictions since May 2014. [Associated Press]
- AAA Texas predicts 3 million Texans will hit the road or take flights during the long Memorial Day weekend. The group says the projection represents a 5 percent increase in holiday travel 50 miles or more away from home, compared to a year ago. The association says it's also the highest volume of Texas travelers for the Memorial Day period in 10 years. The time frame is Thursday through Monday. AAA Texas authorities attribute the increase in travelers to a strong employment market and low gasoline prices. [Associated Press]
- The Greenwood Mausoleum Independence Chapel in Fort Worth is hosting a photo display that features Texans who’ve died while serving their country. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: “The traveling exhibit, ‘Remembering Our Fallen From Texas,’ includes images of the almost 600 Texas sons and daughters who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars since 2003 Behind their photos are many more unseen faces, those of the loving, proud families the fallen leave behind.” Learn more here. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
