Severe thunderstorms, flash flooding to threaten Plains, Midwest and East
Rounds of severe thunderstorms will threaten the Plains, Midwest and East into Thursday with damaging wind gusts, while repeated downpours could trigger dangerous flash flooding.
People ran for cover as a waterspout transformed into a tornado on Folly Beach, dramatically interrupting a surf competition.
Rounds of thunderstorms with damaging winds will move from the northern and central parts of the Plains to portions of the Midwest, Appalachians and the Atlantic Coast this week, prompting a significant risk of flash flooding where heavy rain repeatedly tracks over the same areas.
"While we don't think that the thunderstorm complexes will quite reach the intensity and distance of derechos, there can be significant damage in some communities where the storms intensify," AccuWeather Expert Meteorologist Adam Douty said. "Straight-line wind gusts produced during the most intense storms can knock over trees and cause regional power outages."
On Monday, severe thunderstorms erupted across the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic, triggering flash flooding and damaging trees and power lines. Severe storms also occurred in Arizona, the Carolinas and northern parts of the Plains. Altogether, nearly 500 preliminary severe weather reports were recorded across the affected areas.
More storms to roar Tuesday in Midwest, Plains and East
On Tuesday, storms will revisit much of Monday's corridor from the Midwest to the East, with the storms shifting slightly southward. As of mid-afternoon on Tuesday, close to 800,000 utility customers were without power in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio alone.
Powerful wind gusts will pose the greatest risk of damage, while a small number of the strongest storms could produce brief tornadoes.
A medium risk of severe weather with numerous potentially damaging thunderstorms is anticipated from central Illinois to parts of western Virginia. A high risk zone remained over part of northern Indiana.
Farther west, more storms are forecast to threaten portions of the Plains in an area similar to Monday's.
Severe weather is possible from easternmost Montana and northeastern Wyoming to southeastern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa with powerful wind gusts and crop-damaging hail. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust is 90 mph for the Tuesday storms in the Plains.
Storms to remain active at midweek
As the northeastern edge of the heat dome retreats southwestward Wednesday, the focal point of the severe weather in the Midwest and East is also expected to shift in the same direction.
Severe thunderstorms are possible from central Illinois to the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina. The AccuWeather StormMax™ wind gust for this zone on Wednesday is 80 mph.
Wednesday's severe weather will continue to threaten many of the same areas of the Plains affected on Monday and Tuesday.
The midweek severe weather risk across the Plains will extend from easternmost Wyoming through all of South Dakota and Nebraska, reaching southern Iowa, northern Missouri, northern Kansas and northeastern Colorado.
Along with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 90 mph, some of the strongest storms could once again produce crop-damaging hail.
Once again, thunderstorms will become severe from far northeastern Colorado to the Ohio Valley on Thursday, with flash flooding and damaging wind gusts as the primary threats.
Flash flood risk may be the most dangerous factor
As repeated rounds of heavy thunderstorms roll through portions of the Ohio Valley and Appalachians, the risk of flash flooding will escalate through Thursday night and could become life threatening for some communities.
A large area where between 2 and 4 inches of rain is forecast to fall will extend from eastern Illinois to southwestern Pennsylvania, northeastern Tennessee and the western border of Virginia.
Within this zone, 4-8 inches of rain is forecast from east-central Indiana to much of West Virginia, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ rainfall of 12 inches.
Highly localized urban flash flooding can occur during any of this week's storms due to abundant atmospheric moisture.
However, where heavy rain persists for multiple hours or repeatedly returns to the same areas, the flash-flood risk will increase significantly in parts of the Ohio Valley and southern Appalachians.
Portions of Kentucky, West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania and southern Ohio are notorious trouble spots for flash flooding due to steep terrain that accelerates runoff into creeks and small rivers.
Residents, campers and motorists near streams prone to flash flooding are urged to closely monitor the forecast and be prepared to move to higher ground if flooding develops. Water levels in small streams can rise rapidly, flooding vehicles and surrounding homes during extreme rainfall.
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