Flash flood threat intensifies across the south-central US
By the time the extended holiday weekend comes to a close, some locations could receive close to a foot of rain, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
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Relentless flooding downpours and severe thunderstorms have battered the South Central states in recent days, and several more inches of rain will soak the region through early week.
AccuWeather experts began sounding the alarm as early as last week of a possible flash flood emergency across the Ozark Mountains during the holiday weekend — a threat that materialized Saturday morning as flash flooding forced the closure of multiple roads in the Springfield, Missouri, metro area.
This map shows rainfall amounts over the past 48 hours ending Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. CDT. Additional heavy rain will fall in this zone through Memorial Day.
"Springfield received 2.68 inches of rain on Friday and Saturday. This ranks as the second highest rainfall amount for the two-day period of May 23-24," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said.
As of Sunday morning, the bullseye for the heaviest rain thus far has been focused from southern Missouri into eastern Oklahoma where 3.0 to 4.5 inches of rain has fallen in spots. By the time the rain starts to wind down Monday night into Tuesday, some localized areas could receive close to a foot of rain.
"Repetitive rounds of rain will continue across the southern Plains and Ozarks through Memorial Day, resulting in additional or worsening flooding," Merrill said.
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"Although northwestern Arkansas and northern Texas has not experienced the heaviest rain thus far, we expect pockets of heavy rain to expand across these areas through Monday," Merrill added.
The timing of the heavy rain, when many are outdoors camping and hiking to mark the unofficial start of summer, makes the situation especially dangerous.
"As the ground quickly becomes saturated, runoff will increase exponentially, leading to sudden rises on small streams and surges along area rivers," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "A wall of water may blast through narrow valleys, which are popular destinations for campers and summer homes in the Ozark Mountains. Small babbling brooks can become raging torrents of water in a matter of a few minutes."
Even in areas spared from flooding, the downpours will disrupt outdoor plans like cookouts and Memorial Day services. Drivers should also exercise caution, with increased risks of hydroplaning and poor visibility on rain-slick roads.
Beyond Memorial Day, there may be a couple more rounds of rain that sweep across the hardest-hit areas during the latter part of the week. However, the main focal point for frequent downpours is likely to sink farther to the south toward the Gulf Coast.
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