Heavy Rain From Kansas Heads to Kentucky, Tennessee

By Anthony Sagliani, Meteorologist

July 30,2013; 9:17PM,EDT

 

 

The storm system responsible for Monday's flooding rain in Kansas will continue to shift eastward across Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee into Tuesday night.
As much as 5 inches of rain fell in a short period of time on Monday evening across southeastern Kansas, leading to the closure of many roadways and making travel extremely dangerous for much of the night.
The rain was so heavy that the Kansas Turnpike had to be shut down from El Dorado to Emporia. Authorities reported that water was ponding over large sections of the roadway, and in some places, it was deep enough to make it impassible for vehicles.

The turnpike was reopened after the rainfall ended and the water subsided.
According to Senior Vice President of AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions Mike Smith, "The rainfall can lead to flooding along the Cottonwood, Little Arkansas and other rivers in the region."
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Low-lying areas including some croplands along area streams and rivers could be impacted by rising waters as rain runs off and works downstream.
Later Tuesday into Tuesday night, cities from Jackson, Tenn., to Louisville, Ky., will be at risk for torrential rain and flash flooding.

Those traveling on Interstates 24, 40, 64, and 65, to name a few, will need to pay particular attention to rainfall. At the very least, blinding downpours can cause dangerous restrictions in visibility. Couple this with a high risk for hydroplaning, and it is easy to see how heavy rain can lead to accidents.
Never drive your vehicle around barricades or into flooded roadways. The water can be much deeper than you think, and it only takes 18 inches of rushing water to sweep a vehicle away.

A few thunderstorms will be embedded across the region, and a few places may have gusty winds to 50 mph and frequent lightning strikes.
Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski contributed to the content of this story.