Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Tropical activity brewing near US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Get details Chevron right
Storms to spark on July 4th in parts of the Plains and Southeast. Click here Chevron right

Columbus, OH

86°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

86°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Severe Weather

Rainfall may ‘quickly escalate’ into serious flood concern

Flood-weary portions of the I-95 corridor faced flash flooding Wednesday afternoon, while the Tennessee and Ohio river valleys are forecasted to receive repeated thunderstorms.

By Andrew Johnson-Levine, AccuWeather meteorologist

Published Aug 9, 2022 8:36 AM EDT | Updated Aug 11, 2022 6:15 AM EDT

Copied

Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, some of them extremely heavy, were moving across portions of the Tennessee and Ohio river valleys on Wednesday, and AccuWeather forecasters warn as the storms track eastward, they will continue to pose a major flash flooding threat for the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metro areas.

"Given the catastrophic recent flooding that has occurred in parts of Kentucky and West Virginia of late, the threat for more heavy rainfall is a serious concern that may quickly escalate if persistent downpours occur an area that has seen recent flooding," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said.

The I-95 zone from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore and Wilmington, Delaware, was under a flash flooding threat Wednesday afternoon. A flash flood warning was issued for the nation's capital, as well as surrounding cities such as Arlington, Virginia and Silver Spring, Maryland, through Wednesday evening.

High water levels have already come to the D.C. area, including on Rhode Island Avenue and New Jersey Avenue.

The source of the rainfall this week is a slow-moving cold front, which remains draped across the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast. While the front is steadily moving southeastward, it has been in no hurry to do so, bringing rounds of rain to many of the same locations.

There are a few spots that could benefit from the impending rain, including northern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and most of New England, where pockets of short-term dryness issues have developed, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. However, for much of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, and the central Appalachians, there has been too much rain in a short time.

"Notably, parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley hit recently by record rainfall such as the St. Louis area, southern Missouri, southern Illinois and Kentucky will all be at risk for multiple rounds of rain again with this event," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex DaSilva said. "The heavy rain threat will also shift eastward into parts of the Virginias," DaSilva added, noting that a broader area may be threatened by flooding in localized areas.

Oftentimes flooding occurs in urban areas. Since cities are generally covered in impervious surfaces such as asphalt and concrete, there are few locations to water to drain, leading to rapid flooding. Such flooding was captured by drone footage in New York City last month, with high water leading to water rescues and road closures. However, this isn't always the case.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  •   Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

Much like what was seen in eastern Kentucky recently, some of the worst flooding can occur in rural, mountainous regions. Unlike urban flooding, mountain flooding poses an entirely different threat. The terrain from the mountainous elevation acts as a funnel that moves all rainwater into one location by means of just gravity.

When one specific region receives a high amount of rainfall, all of the water flows to only one or two rivers which easily overwhelms the banks of rivers that many call home in the region. This has also been ongoing in some mountainous areas of the interior Southwest due to the North American monsoon, but it has been the cause of the destructive flooding in Kentucky recently.

"There has been such catastrophic damage to infrastructure – culverts, roadways, streams, etc. – in some cases the flow of water has now been completely altered by the flooding that previously occurred – which raises the potential for what would have before been considered a manageable amount of rain, but falling over a short time period to result in renewed, potentially significant flooding," Porter said.

On Wednesday morning, flash floods hit Chattanooga, Tennessee, creating havoc for flooded vehicles, leading to a group of samaritans rescuing one submerged automobile.

By Thursday, the front will finally shift south, ending the heavy rain threat across much of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. However, portions of Virginia, the Carolinas, the southern Appalachians and the lower part of the mid-Atlantic are most likely to be hit by heavy thunderstorms.

Lingering showers could dampen some areas of the Midwest and interior Northeast Thursday, but the showers are not expected to be heavy enough to create flooding concerns.

For those looking for the return of dry weather, relief will be quick to arrive following the passing of the cold front. Behind the front, a return to drier, less humid conditions is set to unfold, giving residents a small taste of fall at the end of the week and the start of the weekend.

More to read:

Final supermoon of 2022 to rise tonight
Lightning survivor marks recovery with a permanent reminder
Waterspout-turned-tornado seen on video tearing roof off home
The fall forecast is in, and it’s going to be a warm one

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

Weather News

video

Huge dust storm shrouds Las Vegas

Jul. 2, 2025
video

Fallen trees during storm kill Delaware driver

Jul. 2, 2025
video

Towering waterspout hovers near Ohio’s lakeshore

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Storms to spark on July 4th in parts of the Plains and Southeast

3 hours ago

Weather News

9-year-old dies in hot car outside mother's Texas workplace

8 hours ago

Weather News

Tropical trouble could stir near Southeast beaches around 4th of July

9 hours ago

Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

7 hours ago

Weather News

Storm chaser stages whirlwind proposal with real tornado

1 day ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Weather News

‘Shark Whisperer’ swims its way into our shark obsession

2 hours ago

Travel

Fourth of July gas hasn’t been this cheap since 2021

1 day ago

Weather News

What makes fireworks burst with vibrant colors?

5 days ago

Health

'Inverse' vaccines may hold key to challenge autoimmune diseases

2 days ago

Weather News

World’s most liveable city for 2025 revealed

1 week ago

AccuWeather Severe Weather Rainfall may ‘quickly escalate’ into serious flood concern
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...