A slow moving upper level low system will continue to bring rain to southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana on Thursday.

Combined rainfall totals for Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon are at 8/10 of an inch with another inch of rain or more predicted Thursday, Joe Rua, meteorologist with the National Weather Service-Lake Charles, said.

“These systems are slow moving and it’s hard to say where they will set up,” Rua said, adding that a rain band has set over an area from Freeport to Jasper and toward west Houston for about a 24-hour period.

The highest rain totals in the past 24 hours, from Tuesday through Wednesday, have been in northwest Louisiana where more than 10 inches of rain fell. Tyler, Jasper and Newton counties as well as Vernon Parish in Louisiana, saw four to six inches of rain.

A flash flood watch continues for all of southeast Texas as well as parts of Louisiana and there will continue to be a small threat for isolated tornadoes through Thursday, according to the NWS.

Strong southeast winds of 15 to 25 mph will continue into Thursday. The highest winds will be seen along and south of the Interstate-10 corridor of southeast Texas and southwest and south central Louisiana. Gusts will occasionally be in the 30 to 40 mph range.

Other areas in Texas and Louisiana saw much higher amounts of rainfall and more damage.

A state of emergency and a mandatory 24-hour evacuation was declared in the city of Kilgore after more than eight inches of rain were dumped onto the city in about a 12 hour timeframe. A number of shelters were on standby to help residents seeking refuge.

Widespread flooding also caused for several parishes in northwest Louisiana to be declared a state o emergency and the National Guard sent in to help, according to the Associated Press.

Louisiana State Police closed a section of Interstate 20 near Gibsland in northern Louisiana after both east and west bound lanes were covered with a foot of water. In Webster Parish deputies went door-to-door in one subdivision to evacuate about 30 homes.

The American Red Cross is readying workers and resources in anticipation of the upcoming weather in order to be ready to respond quickly to flash flooding, according to a press release from the American Red Cross.

For more information about Red Cross, visit redcross.org

E-mail: mary.meaux@panews.com

Twitter: MaryMeauxPANews