Reuters Images
The center of Tropical Storm Bill is seen making landfall on Matagorda Island, Texas, in this GOES East NOAA satellite image.
As Texans prepare for the potential of more flooding, a "ring of fire" weather pattern is pushing the remnants of Bill farther north.
It's a fairly common pattern for the summer, and it will arc over Houston, St. Louis, and New York City during the coming week, Slate reports.
But one thing about this storm makes it rather unusual: While tropical storms typically weaken as they hit land, Bill may actually intensify.
By drawing moisture from the soil via an unusual process called "brown ocean," some storms manage to keep their strength after landfall. Plus, because May was the wettest month in US history, Bill will have a lot of moisture to draw from.
High pressure over the Southeast will push the storm farther north, meaning heavy floods could spread all the way to New York by the weekend, Slate reports. And according to a recent announcement from the National Weather Service, 7 to 9 inches of rain - several months' worth - are expected over the next week.
So if you have plans to be out and about, bring an umbrella!
If only we could send all this water to California ...