Stormy Start to Thanksgiving Week as Flood Watch Covers Much of North Texas

The National Weather Service said that North Texas was under a flood watch Monday as storms with heavy rain and the chance of hail moved across the region.

A flood watch is in effect until Monday afternoon for more than a dozen counties, including Collin, Dallas, Denton, Rockwall, and Tarrant. The alert includes about 40 towns in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, Lewisville, and McKinney, all very populous.

Rain is definitely on the way, with showers and thunderstorms likely all day. Thunderstorms could bring wind gusts of up to 20 mph, hail in some areas, and 1 to 3 inches of rain, with up to 4 inches possible in some areas.

Folks should be ready to move quickly if water levels rise, according to the weather service. "People who live in areas that are likely to flood should be ready to act if flooding happens," the advisory said.

As the strongest storms move through, the agency said streets could flood, driving could become dangerous, and small creeks and streams could rise quickly. Authorities told drivers to avoid low-lying areas and never drive on flooded roads.

The flood watch will end later Monday, but rain could stay in some places as the holiday week continues. As conditions change, the National Weather Service will monitor them and issue reports as needed.

‍