AccuWeather meteorologists are issuing urgent warnings about a significant weather event expected to unfold across the central United States, bringing the potential for historic and life-threatening flash flooding and severe thunderstorms from Wednesday through Saturday night.
AccuWeather is emphasizing the danger of a slow-moving storm system that could unleash up to four months’ worth of rainfall in five days, leading to extreme flash flooding, particularly across the Ozarks, parts of the Mississippi Valley, and much of the Ohio Valley.
READ: AccuWeather Warns Of Life-Threatening Flooding, Tornadoes In Stormy Start To April
“We’re concerned about the risk of life-threatening and historic flash flooding, which could evolve into a major river flooding event. Dangerous situations can escalate to life-threatening emergencies in a matter of seconds with a flash flooding threat as serious as this,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. He warned that some areas, including parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas, could see 12 to nearly 24 inches of rainfall by the end of the weekend, describing the weather pattern as an “atmospheric river setup” drawing moisture from the tropics.
A storm system emerging into the Plains on Tuesday is expected to stall between Wednesday and Saturday, with another reinforcing weather system diving into the Rockies and Plains. This atmospheric “traffic jam” will result in repeated rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms over the same areas, significantly increasing the risk of flash flooding.
“This is a very alarming setup. A big area of high pressure off the coast of the Southeast U.S. will funnel moisture from the Caribbean and Gulf into parts of the central U.S. The weather pattern will look like a traffic jam in the atmosphere, with repeating thunderstorms and downpours over the same areas. This is a recipe for big flooding problems,” Porter warned. He stressed the unusual nature of forecasting such high rainfall amounts in this region without the influence of a tropical storm or hurricane.
READ: Boston Box Truck Rampage: Intentional Or Accident? Police Investigate
Widespread rainfall of 2-4 inches is expected from northeastern Texas through the Ohio River Valley and into the central Appalachians. Within this zone, a swath of 8-12 inches of rainfall is forecast.
AccuWeather is predicting a zone of 12-18 inches of rainfall through Saturday night across parts of northeastern Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, northwestern Tennessee, western Kentucky, southeastern Illinois, and southwestern Indiana, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 21 inches possible.
“Some of the communities hit hardest by back-to-back thunderstorms and relentless downpours could receive up to four months’ worth of rainfall in five days. This situation could quickly escalate to a one-in-1,000-year flood event,” Porter warned, comparing the potential impacts to experiencing back-to-back tropical storms.
According to records, a one-in-1,000-year flood for a three-day rainfall event in this region typically involves 12 to 14 inches of rain. The all-time three-day rainfall records for Kentucky and Arkansas are 15.45 inches and 14.58 inches, respectively.
Areas already vulnerable due to a historic and fatal flooding event in mid-February, such as portions of northwestern Tennessee and western Kentucky, are at heightened risk.
READ: Steve Kornacki Leaves MSNBC For Expanded Role At NBC Amid Network Shakeup
Even after the rain subsides late Saturday into Sunday, rivers are expected to continue rising, with potential for impassable roadways, bridge washouts, and other infrastructure damage.
“Relentless rainfall will cause problems along creeks, streams, and low-lying flood-prone areas first before evolving into a river flooding problem as all of the water tries to flow downstream,” Porter explained, urging residents to be prepared to move to higher ground quickly.
The overlapping risks of extreme flooding and severe weather necessitate careful consideration of shelter plans. AccuWeather advises people to be mindful that basements and underground storm shelters may become flooded and to review and have a backup plan.
AccuWeather is emphasizing the importance of communication and preparedness. “People live busy lives, and some may not know about this alarming forecast. If you have friends or family who live in areas at risk of flooding, please give them a call or send them a text message and make sure they know about the dangerous flooding concerns this week,” Porter said.
Widespread travel delays and disruptions to business and supply chain logistics are anticipated across the region throughout the week.
READ: AccuWeather Warns Of Life-Threatening Flooding, Tornadoes In Stormy Start To April
The risk of severe thunderstorms, including isolated tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind gusts, will begin Tuesday afternoon across the southern and central Plains and portions of the Midwest. Cities such as Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City, which have already experienced severe weather this season, are again at risk.
The severe weather threat will expand in coverage and intensity on Wednesday, spanning from central Texas to southern Wisconsin, Michigan, and western Ohio. AccuWeather is forecasting a high risk of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday across a broad area, including parts of northeastern Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana.
“We could see 25 to 50 tornadoes on Wednesday, with the potential for several strong, long-track tornadoes,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
The risk of severe storms will continue Thursday, although potentially with reduced intensity, and may redevelop from the South Central states to portions of the Ohio Valley from Friday into Saturday.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
