Severe storms to stretch flood threat over central US through Wednesday

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

October 4,2016; 10:42PM,EDT

 

 

The threat for severe thunderstorms and flash flooding will spread over the central United States through the middle of the week.
The storm that brought rain and mountain snow to the Intermountain West on Monday will move across the Central states through Wednesday, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun.
Heavy and locally severe thunderstorms will erupt as the storm advances eastward.
Rain and thunderstorms are forecast to ramp up from the eastern Dakotas to central Oklahoma late Tuesday afternoon with the greatest threat for severe thunderstorms focusing on the central Plains.

"A few storms may be on the strong side," Rathbun said, adding that damaging winds and hail would be the primary threats.
Residents in and around Omaha, Nebraska; Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Oklahoma City should to be on alert for ominous skies and local weather warnings.
While the threat for tornadoes will be low, an isolated twister or two cannot be ruled out.
The threat will mainly transition to heavy rain and flash flooding from Minnesota to Kansas during Tuesday night, Rathbun said.
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Soil remains saturated across much of country's midsection after a deluge of rain during September.
Several rivers in southeastern Iowa remain at moderate to major flood stage. Any additional rainfall could cause high rivers to spill out of their banks and flood neighboring roads and lands.
Motorists should use caution as it can be difficult to see a flooded roadway in the dark. At the first sight of high water, turn around and find an alternate route.
Rain and thunderstorms are expected to advance eastward into the upper Great Lakes and the Missouri Valley on Wednesday. The overall threat for severe weather, however, is expected to diminish.

As quickly as the first storm departs, a new system will bring additional rainfall to the central U.S. for the second half of the week, Rathbun said.
Storms are expected to pick up in intensity on Thursday and Thursday night from the upper Great Lakes to the southern Plains.
Flash flooding will remain the greatest concern into Friday, but locally damaging winds are still possible.
As this system progresses into the East, it will have impacts on Hurricane Matthew's path along the Atlantic Seaboard.