Morning storm brings more rain; another 1-2 inches possible in region tonight

Published 7:13 am Thursday, June 19, 2014

Another day, another dose of rain for the already-inundated Austin waterways. And again, it may not be over.

The stormy week continued in Austin and the region this morning as another severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the area after 6 a.m. Though rainfall totals were still unknown for this latest storm, anything extra could be problematic after more than 3 inches of rain Monday and the half-inch to an inch the Austin area received Wednesday morning.

However, it appears the worst of the storm again missed the Austin area. Flash flood watches were in effect this morning in northeast Iowa and into Wisconsin as close as Howard County, which borders Mower County to the southeast. The National Weather Service out of La Crosse, Wis., reported flooded basements and mudslides in Iowa.

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In the Austin area, the weather service extended the flood warnings on the Cedar River, Dobbins Creek and Turtle Creek through Saturday, unless the flood waters recede sooner.

After this morning’s storms, the weather service warned of the potential for another round of storms in the same region this afternoon and this evening, especially in northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin.

One forecast model called for heavy rains of an in per hour and an additional 1-2 inches of rain in some areas. Large hail and high winds were also possible.

In Austin, the weather service forecast called for a high of 83, heavy rain tonight and up to an inch of rain this evening.

The chance of rain doesn’t end tonight. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain on Friday and Saturday, a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms on Sunday, and a 30 percent chance of storms on Monday.