Rounds of thunderstorms bringing heavy rainfall are targeting areas across the Heartland and the Gulf Coast through Wednesday, triggering flash flood threats across the region. These storms are expected to slam the same areas that, just yesterday, faced extreme flooding including southeast Missouri that dealt with a Flash Flood Emergency. Stick with FOX Weather through it all:
Following a day of intense flash flooding across the Heartland, the threat of both severe thunderstorms and flash flooding continues into Saturday.
Many of the same areas will experience additional rainfall and possible flooding, with the threat expanding farther south.
On Friday, a Flash Flood Emergency was issued across Iron and Reynolds counties in Missouri, where rain totals reached as high as 12.25 inches.
The Missouri Regent C Incident Command tells FOX Weather that more than 351 rescues were performed as of 9:45 p.m. on Friday.
Of those rescues were 200 children from Camp Taum Sauk, which were relocated to St. Louis last night.
The Weather Prediction Center continues to highlight a “concerning” heavy rainfall forecast across the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys on Saturday, with the overall pattern not expected to change much.
A strong ridge of high pressure over the Four Corners is causing an upper-level trough to slow as it moves east. With this, a cold front will sag through the Mid-Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys before stalling in a west-to-east orientation come Sunday morning, bringing repeated rounds of moisture and disturbances from the Southern Plains into the Mid-Atlantic through the weekend.
(FOX Weather)
Flood Watches remain in effect, along with a Level 2 out of 4 flash flood risk through Saturday across portions of southeast Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Rainfall totals of 2-3 inches are expected through Sunday from southern Illinois into Kentucky and central Tennessee.
Rounds of thunderstorms will repeatedly move over cities like St. Louis and Nashville, which could see rain totals between 3-5 inches.
(FOX Weather)
Come Sunday, the flood threat shifts east into eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina and parts of southern Virginia. A Level 2 out of 4 flash flood threat is in place from east of Nashville to the coast of North Carolina.
As the ridge of high pressure over western U.S. moves into the northeastern tier early next week, a setup for heavy rainfall will develop along the Gulf Coast.
Deep tropical moisture and several disturbances will move in and create an environment of repeated rounds of thunderstorms along the southern edge of the ridge.
These storms are capable of producing torrential rainfall, triggering flash flood threats.
The greatest threat here is across eastern Texas and Louisiana, where a Level 2 out of 4 flash flood threat is in place through Monday. This includes cites like Houston and New Orleans.
A broader Level 1 out of 4 threat will extend more than 1,000 miles from western Texas to the South Carolina coast.
Through Tuesday, widespread expected rainfall totals are expected across eastern Texas, Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
