The National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, issued a Flash Flood Warning at 5:46 AM CDT on September 2, in effect until 10:45 AM CDT. The warning covers two areas in Southeast Texas: Hardin County and Tyler County. A warning of this type means flash flooding is already occurring or imminent — this is not a forecast of possible flooding, it is an active, dangerous situation on the ground.
Residents in and around Hardin and Tyler counties may notice rapidly rising water on roads, in low-lying areas, along creeks and bayous, and in poor-drainage spots common across this heavily forested part of Southeast Texas. Water can rise fast enough to cover roads within minutes, and it only takes about 12 inches of moving water to carry away a small car.
What to do right now
If you are in the warned area: stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary, and never drive through water covering a roadway — turn around, don’t drown. Move to higher ground if water is rising near your home, and avoid walking through floodwater, which can hide deep holes, debris, and downed power lines. Keep a phone charged and monitor local radio or weather alerts in case the warning is extended or upgraded.
The warning is currently set to expire at 10:45 AM CDT, but it can be extended if heavy rain continues or if runoff keeps waterways rising after the rain stops. Even after floodwater recedes, treat closed roads as closed until officials reopen them, and avoid contact with standing water, which can be contaminated.
This information comes from the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do right now if I'm in Hardin or Tyler County?
Stay off flooded roads and move to higher ground if water is rising near you. Never drive or walk through floodwater — turn around and find another route.
How long will this last?
The warning runs until 10:45 AM CDT on September 2, but NWS can extend it if heavy rain continues or waterways keep rising after the rain ends.
Is it safe to drive to work this morning?
Not if your route crosses flooded or low-lying roads. Just 12 inches of moving water can sweep away a small car, so delay travel or reroute around high water.
Does a Flash Flood Warning mean flooding is actually happening?
Yes. Unlike a watch, a warning means flash flooding is occurring or imminent in Hardin and Tyler counties, so treat it as an active emergency, not a possibility.
Keep tracking this: the Space Weather Command Center shows live storm levels, aurora visibility and active alerts in plain English, and the Event Database is a searchable log of every alert we’ve tracked – earthquakes, solar flares, CMEs and geomagnetic storms, free to search or download.
Source: National Weather Service (NWS)
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Sky & Solar Conditions at the Time
Moon: Waning Gibbous (71% illuminated), in Taurus.
Notable planetary angles: Moon trine Mercury (120°), Jupiter trine Saturn (120°), Mars square Saturn (91°), Mercury sextile Mars (61°).
Concurrent space weather: planetary Kp index 2.3; strongest recent solar flare: nothing notable.
This is a factual snapshot, not a claim of cause and effect – researchers are divided on whether lunar, planetary or solar factors influence seismic or weather activity. It’s included so readers can track the pattern for themselves over time.
