Forecasters say Tropical Storm Lee is bearing down on the Gulf Coast but will do little to lessen drought conditions in Texas, and in fact may contribute to increased fire danger.
Tropical storm warnings were issued from Texas to Mississippi, including New Orleans. its center is expected to approach the Louisiana coast over the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center said the slow-moving system will dump 10 to 15 inches of rain over southern areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama through Sunday and as much as 20 inches in some spots.
If the center moves mostly into Louisiana, as expected, winds on its west side will blow from land to open water. National Weather Service meteorologist Dennis Cavanaugh in Fort Worth says that "works against precipitation" in the Lone Star State.
Cavanaugh says the hot, dry winds could actually spur fire danger across the state.
Texas is enduring its most severe drought since the 1950s.
