Louisiana and Texas are experiencing flooding and more rain is expected in the south

Heavy rains over parts of Louisiana and Texas this week have caused significant flooding, meteorologists and officials said, and more rain is forecast to drench the region through the end of the week.

By Wednesday morning, Industry, Texas, a city west of Houston, and Fayetteville, between Austin and Houston, had each received more than 10 inches of rain. according to the National Weather Service.

Conditions were so bad Wednesday in San Jacinto County, north of Houston, that a local judge has issued a disaster declaration And officials announced a voluntary evacuation of Camilla Twin Harbor and Cedar Valley due to rising water from a nearby river.

Parts of Louisiana were also hit by heavy rain this week, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans, which each received more than two inches of rain on Wednesday.

Even heavier rain fell in other parts of Louisiana, including St. Tammany Parish, which saw between 6 and 8 inches of rain before 5 p.m. according to Fox8Live, a local television station. Flash flooding was also reported in other cities, including Garyville and Mandeville.

As residents across the region try to dry out, they will face more rain and possible flooding in the coming days.

As of Thursday morning, nearly 36 million people from southeastern Texas to southwestern North Carolina were under flood watch.

There was also a small risk of excessive rainfall from the central Gulf Coast through the southern Appalachians on Thursday. This was reported by the Weather Service's weather forecast center.

Rainfall totals for Thursday will be modest compared to previous days, forecasters said, with local amounts up to two inches. However, after much of the region received six inches or more over the past 36 hours, any additional rain could cause scattered instances of flash flooding.

In the southern Appalachians, rainfall could reach up to two inches on Thursday, but is unlikely to cause significant problems as the region has been relatively dry in recent days.