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The South and Ohio Valley will continue to be pummeled by a particularly dangerous flooding event from multiple bouts of extreme rainfall as well as severe weather that could spawn strong tornadoes this weekend.
What's Happening Right Now
As you can see in the current radar image below,areas of heavy rain are finally pushing eastward across the South. Dozens of flash flood warnings extend across these areas.
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Here's a look at some notable reports since Friday:
-Rare flash flood emergency warnings were issued for serious flooding in Texarkana,Texas/Arkansas,and Van Buren,Missouri. Flash flood emergencies have also been issued in Nashville,Little Rock and in northern Arkansas. Water rescues were reported in those locations.
-On Friday,a child was killed by floodwaters in Frankfort,Kentucky,and water rescues were reported in parts of Kentucky and West Virginia. Evacuations because of high water occurred in Hopkinsville and Mount Sterling,Kentucky.
-The highest rainfall total so far from this multiday heavy rain event is 13.4 inches in Mayfield,Kentucky,which is in western Kentucky. You can see other rainfall totals here.
-Flooding has been reported from northeast Texas to northern Kentucky since Saturday morning.
The map below shows estimated rainfall and flood reports (blue circles) over the past 72 hours in the South and Midwest. There have been more than 650 reports of flooding in that time,mainly from the ArkLaTex to the Ohio Valley.
Flood Forecast
-Timing: Storminess is pushing eastward out of the areas that have endured days of heavy rain from the Ohio Valley to the Ozarks. Dry conditions will return on Sunday and last into the first half of next week,but rivers will continue to rise in many of these areas despite the drier skies.
The heaviest rain from Sunday into Monday will sweep through the Southeast. It may take several days before the rivers crest and then decline.
Flood watches have been issued by the National Weather Service across these regions,which means additional flooding is possible.
-How Much Rain? The heaviest rain from the remainder of this event is expected to focus on the Southeast,with potentially 3 to 5 inches across portions of Mississippi,Alabama and Georgia.
Extreme rainfall totals have come down from the Ozarks into the mid-South and mid-Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys in the last few days. Storm totals over a half-foot are already widespread and a few spots will likely get up to 15 inches when all has fallen.
Keep in mind the rainfall forecast below is in addition to what has already fallen the past couple of days.
-What To Do: If you encounter a flooded road,never attempt to drive through it. It only takes about 1 foot of water to float a car or small SUV. Once your vehicle floats,you've lost control. Not only that,the road under the floodwaters may have been washed away.
If you live in a flood-prone area,be sure to stay alert for the latest National Weather Service flood watches and warnings and know where to quickly head to higher ground if needed. Follow the advice of local officials if you are ordered to evacuate.
"Communities in the region should prepare for possible long duration and severe disruption to daily life,"wrote NOAA's Weather Prediction Center in a forecast discussion Thursday morning.
Severe Thunderstorm Forecast
-Sunday: The threat of severe storms will be more isolated,but could impact parts of Georgia,Alabama,southern Mississippi,southeast Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle. Wind damage is the biggest concern,but a few tornadoes are possible.
