Staff report

The National Weather Service on Wednesday morning predicted a cold front with heavy rains pushing through the area this afternoon.

Roger Erickson, warning coordination meteorologist in Lake Charles, said a few showers were already popping up across the area this morning, but much worse was expected.

Heavy rain and strong to severe thunderstorms ahead of a slowly moving cold front was expected to push into east Texas and southeast Texas beginning this afternoon, slowly moving into southwest Louisiana and Acadiana tonight into early Thursday.

Erickson said in an issued release that slowly moving storms “training” over the same locations repeatedly would produce rainfall totals around 2 to 5 inches across the region.

More northern parts of the area would received as much as 7 inches of rain.

“These storms will have the potential for strong, damaging winds and large hail,” the NWS said. “A few isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out. Be sure to have your weather radio turned on or have another way to receive severe weather alerts.”