Flash flooding and severe thunderstorms to span from the Plains to the East Coast
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms will bring risks for severe weather and flash flooding through the upcoming week.
Excessive rainfall in the Dante, Virginia, area led to flash flooding severe enough to warrant evacuations on July 18.
Along the periphery of an expansive heat dome across the southern United States that is set to bring stifling heat to millions, a weather pattern conducive for drenching thunderstorms has set up across a zone spanning from the Plains and Midwest to the Appalachians and mid-Atlantic states in the days to come.
Fueled in part by a former tropical rainstorm that brought flooding rainfall to portions of Louisiana this past week, the thunderstorm activity through the weekend and into early next week will tap into an ample amount of moisture that is available. This risk had already come to fruition Saturday morning as a powerful complex of thunderstorms brought damaging wind gusts and flash flooding to portions of Iowa and Illinois.
The risk for severe thunderstorm activity on Saturday will continue to focus across the Midwest, targeting the major metropolitan areas of Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit. In addition to the risk for damaging wind gusts and hail, thunderstorm activity within this zone can produce prolific rainfall rates around 1-2 inches per hour.
In addition to the severe risk across the Midwest on Saturday, two additional zones of severe weather are expected; one across the Plains and another focusing across the mid-Atlantic states. Similar to the risks across the Midwest, communities across the mid-Atlantic should be prepared for damaging wind gusts and the potential for flash flooding.
Across the Plains, thunderstorm activity will also feature the risk for damaging wind gusts, but they can also pose a risk for large hail and even a few tornadoes.
Into the day on Sunday, a broad zone of thunderstorm activity along the periphery of the heat dome is expected to continue. Within the zone spanning from the Plains to the East Coast, AccuWeather meteorologists are highlighting multiple areas that can feature a risk for severe thunderstorms.
Again, similar risks are expected from Sunday’s thunderstorm activity, with damaging winds and flash flooding being the primary concern in the East.
Across the Plains, thunderstorm activity can also feature risks for hail Sunday afternoon into Sunday night. Within the zone spanning from southern Nebraska to south-central Canada, thunderstorm wind gusts will be capable of approaching the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 85 miles per hour.
From Sunday night into Monday, the potential for rounds of thunderstorm activity is expected to evolve across the Midwest and Ohio Valley as well. From central and southern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, conditions will be closely monitored for possible flash flooding.
Tallying up the expected rainfall from this weekend into early next week, a wide swath of 2 inches or more of rainfall is expected across the Midwest, Appalachians and mid-Atlantic. Within this zone, the potential for 4-8 inches of rain is possible in places like Peoria, Illinois and Charleston, West Virginia. In the hardest-hit zones, rainfall totals can approach the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 13 inches.
"Much of West Virginia is experiencing its top 35 wettest July so far. As the front slips south Sunday into Monday, repetitive thunderstorms producing torrential rainfall will line up in narrow stripes of real estate across central and western West Virginia. These thunderstorms, when combined with a moist ground from recent rain and the varying topography, can unleash significant flooding," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill explained.
Rainfall of this magnitude can lead to widespread high water and flooding issues across the aforementioned regions in the coming days, some of which may even become life-threatening. As always, it is important to have a plan of action in the event of flooding and to have the means of receiving warnings, especially at night.
The risk for severe weather is not expected to ease heading into next week either, as the heat dome remains in place, providing an endless supply of fuel for thunderstorm activity. On Monday, the Plains will once again be the focal point for severe activity, then the risk can shift into the Midwest by Tuesday.
Within this time frame and through a majority of the upcoming week, the potential for high-end complexes of thunderstorms that can feature damaging wind gusts, hail and flooding downpours remains possible.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
