TEXAS — The remnants of Hurricane Polo, a Category 5 hurricane in the Eastern Pacific, could move into the southern Plains next week. Forecast guidance shows tropical moisture streaming north across Mexico into Texas and Oklahoma, raising the potential for organized thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. Severe weather and flooding are possible, especially from Dallas to Houston and east toward Shreveport, though it remains too early to pin down specific details.
Category 5 Hurricane Polo Churns in the Eastern Pacific
Hurricane Polo has reached Category 5 strength over the Eastern Pacific, making it one of the most powerful storms of the season in that basin. While the hurricane itself is not expected to make a direct hit on Texas, its leftover moisture is drawing attention.
Eastern Pacific storms sometimes send their remnant moisture northeast across Mexico and into the southern United States. Current guidance suggests Polo’s remnants could follow that path, feeding into a developing weather system over the southern Plains next week.
Tropical Moisture Streams Toward the Southern Plains
Forecast models show deep tropical moisture flowing north from Mexico into West Texas, including areas near Odessa, Lubbock, and Amarillo. A separate stream of moisture is expected to push northeast toward San Antonio and Dallas.
That moisture could interact with an approaching system to produce widespread rain and storms. Tropical moisture of this kind often leads to heavy downpours, raising concerns about rainfall totals adding up quickly in some locations.
Severe Weather and Flooding Possible From Dallas to Houston
The greatest concern zone for severe weather and flooding stretches from Oklahoma City and Dallas southeast through East Texas, Houston, and toward Shreveport. Guidance shows clusters of heavy rain and storms developing across this corridor…