Tropical Storm Bill made landfall just before noon today, approaching the Texas gulf coast with winds up to 50 miles per hour.
The National Weather Service estimates that 4 to 8 inches of rainfall will fall in areas of eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma. McLennan County – like other areas in the state – is currently under a flash flood warning. Anthony Bain, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Fort Worth, says the amount of rain the Waco could see depends on the path Bill takes.
"So if it’s a little further to the, if it starts tracking to the north that would maybe suggest lower amounts for McLennan County," Bain says. "If it maybe swings a bit to the west and then turns north that might be heavier rain for McLennan County.”
The county is also under a tornado watch. Bain says that’s because of an increased amount of wind shear – that is a change in the wind speed direction. These types of tornados are typically brief and short-lived but can still present a danger. But Bain says the greatest danger in the McLennan County area is rain and the potential for flash flooding.
"So it’ll be intermittent but when the rain does fall because we have a lot of moisture in the atmosphere it’s going to be pretty heavy," Bain says.
McLennan County is under a tornado watch until midnight tonight, and will remain under a flash flood watch until Thursday.