The third tropical storm of the year, Cindy is expected to make landfall Thursday over western Louisiana and eastern Texas, before swinging farther northeast.
Based on its current track, heavy rain from the storm is expected to stay well east of Dallas-Fort Worth, closer to Toledo Bend, along the Sabine River, and Shreveport, said meteorologist Jason Godwin of the National Weather Service.
Other Texas cities farther southeast, including Houston, could see some rain as well.
Unrelated to the tropical storm, the Dallas area could see some showers over the weekend, thanks to a cold front that's expected to move down from Oklahoma, Godwin said.
There's a chance of about a quarter-inch of rain on Saturday and Sunday, with up to an inch possible in some places.
The storm could also drop temperatures to highs in the mid-80s on Sunday, he said.
Bracing for impact
The tropical storm formed Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico, hovering south of Louisiana as it churned tides and spun bands of heavy, potentially flooding rain onto the central and eastern Gulf Coast.
The Louisiana National Guard dispatched high-water vehicles and helicopters into flood-prone areas. The state said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was moving 125,000 meals and 200,000 liters of water into Louisiana.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu urged vigilance as bands of rain from the system swept over the city. Forecasts said the system could dump from a few inches to more than a foot. At worst, the storm could flood neighborhoods outside the city's levee system and cause flash flooding even in protected areas.
Workers on Grand Isle, a barrier island community south of New Orleans, worked to reinforce a rock levee protecting the island's vulnerable west side. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency because of the threat of torrential rains and other severe weather.
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