Severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and heavy rainfall will impact a large portion of the United States this week starting in Texas and the Mississippi Valley Monday. Severe thunderstorms are being forecast as a powerful weather system emerged onto the southern Plains Sunday night. Wind gusts of over 75 miles per hour already impacted parts of Texas and Oklahoma Sunday night. Forecasters are warning that anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of rain could come down as the severe line of thunderstorms moves through heavily populated areas which includes the cities of Little Rock, Houston, Memphis and Shreveport, Louisiana.
People caught outside when these severe storms erupt may face very poor travel conditions, blinding downpours of rain and high gusting winds. Widespread property damage could occur as trees and power-lines may come down and flash flooding may take place due to heavy rain. From Monday onward, the threat for severe weather will move east and north to affect the northern coast of Texas up to the Ohio Valley region. Damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding will be the biggest threats in that part of the country. Forecasters are saying that the severe weather even has the potential to trigger tornadoes even though October is not a typical month for tornado activity.
Overall, the heavy rain threat in the US is very expansive as it covers a large swath of land that includes Shreveport, LA, New Orleans, LA Kansas City, MO, Memphis, TN, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, Cincinnati, OH and Atlanta, GA and further east into the Carolinas. The bad weather will not affect all of these areas in one day as the severe weather will occur from Monday through late Wednesday and possibly into Thursday. The Chicago area will get the heaviest rain Tuesday. The worst thunderstorms will take place from Monday afternoon through Tuesday further south wherein millions of people will be affected in numerous states.
Many of the areas at threat for heavy rainfall have already received heavy downpours of rain last week. The ground is simply too saturated to absorb more water so soon. With 3 to 5 inches of rain being forecast in many parts of the country, flash flooding is a real concern and a threat people should take seriously. There are flash flood watches in effect for many areas already including one for the Louisville, KY area as heavy downpours of rain are expected.
