Risk of severe weather, flooding rainfall to ramp up in southern US
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 1, 2020 12:56 PM EDT
The first major storm of the new year will threaten the Southeastern states with heavy rainfall and heavy, gusty to perhaps locally severe thunderstorms on Friday.
AccuWeather meteorologists say the primary threats from Friday's storms will be from flash flooding and highly-localized damaging wind gusts.
"A surge of very mild, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will clash with a strengthening cold front in southern portions of Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and central and eastern Georgia and to produce the feisty storms," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski said.
On Thursday evening, heavy rainfall across Jackson, Mississippi, inundated roads and stranded cars in high waters. A report came in of heavy rain even lifting manhole covers, with water coming up and into the streets. As of 7:20 p.m. EST, about 3.47 inches of rain had fallen over the city.
Closer to the boarder of Louisiana, 5.15 inches of rain fell over Natchez, Mississippi.
Heavy rain led to flash flooding from Louisiana to Mississippi and will spread into Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and the western Carolinas on Friday. Portions of the Tennessee Valley are just recovering from flooding this past weekend.
"With forecasted rain amounts of over 4 inches locally, flash flooding is a major concern," AccuWeather Meteorologist Max Gawryla said.
Downpours will lead to ponding of water and poor visibility along stretches of interstates 10, 20, 40, 55, 59 and 65. Motorists should make sure to keep a close eye out for high water on the roadways, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
With many streams and rivers running high, the runoff from the rain from the storm will cause a surge.
"Minor to moderate flooding of some of the bayous in Louisiana and secondary rivers in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky is likely," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
"The rivers may not crest until this weekend into early next week," he said.
As the storm system's reach expands into the Midwest and Northeast on Friday, rain and thunderstorms will continue to march eastward across the South.
While the risk for flooding will again be the primary threat, a few gusty thunderstorms cannot be ruled out. One or two locations may get hit with damaging winds.
Soaking downpours are likely to be the main concern for travelers across the region. Rain and a low cloud ceiling can make for a miserable day for airline passengers in Atlanta on Friday.
"Its possible that heavy, gusty and locally severe storms affect areas from southeastern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle to central and eastern Georgia for a time on Friday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston said.
By Saturday morning, the heaviest rain is likely to reach the southern Atlantic Seaboard.
Gusty winds will usher in much colder air in the wake of the storm. The air may turn cold quickly enough for the tail end of the storm to end as some snow in the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians.
Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Severe Weather
Risk of severe weather, flooding rainfall to ramp up in southern US
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jan 1, 2020 12:56 PM EDT
The first major storm of the new year will threaten the Southeastern states with heavy rainfall and heavy, gusty to perhaps locally severe thunderstorms on Friday.
AccuWeather meteorologists say the primary threats from Friday's storms will be from flash flooding and highly-localized damaging wind gusts.
"A surge of very mild, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will clash with a strengthening cold front in southern portions of Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and central and eastern Georgia and to produce the feisty storms," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski said.
On Thursday evening, heavy rainfall across Jackson, Mississippi, inundated roads and stranded cars in high waters. A report came in of heavy rain even lifting manhole covers, with water coming up and into the streets. As of 7:20 p.m. EST, about 3.47 inches of rain had fallen over the city.
Closer to the boarder of Louisiana, 5.15 inches of rain fell over Natchez, Mississippi.
Heavy rain led to flash flooding from Louisiana to Mississippi and will spread into Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and the western Carolinas on Friday. Portions of the Tennessee Valley are just recovering from flooding this past weekend.
"With forecasted rain amounts of over 4 inches locally, flash flooding is a major concern," AccuWeather Meteorologist Max Gawryla said.
Downpours will lead to ponding of water and poor visibility along stretches of interstates 10, 20, 40, 55, 59 and 65. Motorists should make sure to keep a close eye out for high water on the roadways, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
With many streams and rivers running high, the runoff from the rain from the storm will cause a surge.
"Minor to moderate flooding of some of the bayous in Louisiana and secondary rivers in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky is likely," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
"The rivers may not crest until this weekend into early next week," he said.
As the storm system's reach expands into the Midwest and Northeast on Friday, rain and thunderstorms will continue to march eastward across the South.
While the risk for flooding will again be the primary threat, a few gusty thunderstorms cannot be ruled out. One or two locations may get hit with damaging winds.
Soaking downpours are likely to be the main concern for travelers across the region. Rain and a low cloud ceiling can make for a miserable day for airline passengers in Atlanta on Friday.
"Its possible that heavy, gusty and locally severe storms affect areas from southeastern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle to central and eastern Georgia for a time on Friday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston said.
By Saturday morning, the heaviest rain is likely to reach the southern Atlantic Seaboard.
Gusty winds will usher in much colder air in the wake of the storm. The air may turn cold quickly enough for the tail end of the storm to end as some snow in the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians.
Related:
Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo