Persistent storms to elevate flood threat over central Plains into Monday

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

August 7,2016; 10:24AM,EDT

 

 

Rounds of drenching rain and storms will threaten to produce localized flooding across the central Plains into Monday.
Areas from southeastern Colorado through much of Kansas and into northern Oklahoma and western Missouri will lie within a moisture-laden zone of rain and storms into Monday morning.
"Monsoonal moisture from Colorado will crash into a stalled front and produce heavy showers and storms across the central Plains into Monday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio said.

The downpours have the potential to dump 1 to 2 inches of rain in as many hours, which could quickly overwhelm storm drains and cause pooling of water on roads and lands.
Localized flooding will be possible, according to Rossio, especially given how wet it has been across the region lately.
"Wichita, Kansas, has already received nearly all the rainfall it typically gets for the month of August," Rossio explained.
Wichita has received 3.00 inches of rain from Aug. 5-6, when the city typically receives 3.71 inches for the entire month.
Motorists are urged to never drive through a flooded roadway as the waters could be deeper than they appear and the roadway underneath could be compromised.
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Any stronger storms embedded within the downpours could produce gusty winds capable of minor tree and property damage.
The stormy weather will be a mirror image of the past few days, with some communities still getting missed by the heaviest storms.
Regardless of whether flash flooding ensues, the downpours could slow travel and disrupt outdoor plans.
Motorists along interstates 29, 35 and 44 should be aware of the threat for torrential downpours that could drastically reduce visibilities for part of the journey.
Those with hopes to spend the end of the weekend enjoying the outdoors will be disappointed by the continued stormy weather.
While disruptive for some, the rain will be beneficial for lawns and crops across the region.
On Monday, downpours could persist in a weakening state into portions of central Missouri and northern Arkansas, while areas farther west begin to dry out.
The zone of heaviest rain and storms could shift northward and concentrate across a small portion of southeastern Nebraska and southern Iowa on Monday night. However, the threat for flooding will lessen across the region into midweek.