Lufkin, Nacogdoches Now Under a Tornado Watch Until 7 P.M.
The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Tornado Watch until 7 p.m. Saturday for portions of Deep East Texas, including Lufkin and Nacogdoches.
East Texas counties included in the watch are Angelina, Nacogdoches, Panola, Sabine, San Augustine, and Shelby.
The Tornado Watch extends to southern and eastern Arkansas, northern Louisiana, northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee.
Areas from the ArkLaTex and northeastward are experiencing massive flooding problems.
The primary threats within the watch area include a few tornadoes, likely with a couple of intense tornadoes possible (EF2+). There could also be scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph. Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events up to 2 inches in diameter are likely. That's about the size of golf balls.
Severe storms, including supercells, are expected to increase through late morning into the afternoon, with tornadoes, damaging winds, and hail all possible.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 65 statute miles north and south of a line from 20 miles south of Longview to 35 miles east northeast of Jackson, Tennessee.
The National Weather Service is expected to issue an additional tornado watch later today for areas south of Lufkin and into the Houston Metro area.
READ MORE: Saturday Severe Weather Threat for East Texas
A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and keep aware for later statements
and possible warnings.
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