Downpours to Raise Flood Risk in South This Week

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

April 12,2015; 11:10PM,EDT

 

 

The danger of flash flooding will heighten across the South this week as rounds of showers and thunderstorms roll through.
The combination of storms systems crossing the area and tapping into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will lead to the rounds of showers and thunderstorms rumbling on a nearly daily basis this week.
Downpours will accompany each bout of showers and thunderstorms and can alone trigger flash flooding.
The flood danger will only increase as the week progresses and the ground becomes saturated.

After the weekend ends with downpours from the Gulf Coast states to southern Georgia, soaking rain and thunderstorms will focus from the central Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley on Monday.
Steady rain will expand westward to Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle and eastern New Mexico. A cold wind will combine with the rain to create a raw day, including in Oklahoma City.
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Folks with plans that involve being outside may want to cancel and reschedule them for another date. Baseball games will have a high risk of being rained out across this area.
Motorists are urged to reduce speed and look for ponding of water in their travels as well. If high water is encountered, an alternative route is highly suggested to avoid a dangerous situation.

There is a silver lining with the unsettled weather. Rain and thunderstorms across northern Texas and western Oklahoma will help with the ongoing drought.
This will be far from enough rain to end the drought, but will still be beneficial.
Although these storms don't pose a large severe threat, a few thunderstorms could produce strong wind gusts that could cause some problems. The concern for violent thunderstorms on Sunday is greater from western and central Texas to southern Iowa.

However, any thunderstorm will produce lightning. Lightning is one of nature's deadliest phenomenon and has already claimed its first U.S. victim of 2015.
AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Jordan Root contributed to the content of this story.