More storms to continue flash flood risk from Kansas to Arkansas into this weekend
Rounds of torrential downpours and the risk of flooding will continue over parts of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma into this weekend.
Flooding of small streams, urban areas, highways, rural roads and portions of farmland is anticipated in the pattern.
This image, taken on Thursday, August 9, 2019, shows a large complex of rain and thunderstorms over the southern Plains and part of the Mississippi Valley. (NOAA/Satellite)
Areas at greatest risk into Sunday are likely to extend from central and eastern Kansas to southwestern Missouri, northeastern Oklahoma and northern Arkansas.
Some communities can be hit with 4-8 inches of rain in 24 hours with the potential for a large portion of the rain to fall in much less time.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches is likely in the pattern which began earlier this week and will continue into part of this weekend.
Major cities that could experience street flooding include Wichita and Topeka, Kansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Springfield and Joplin, Missouri; and Fort Smith and Little Rock, Arkansas.
Downpours capable of causing isolated flash flooding will extend beyond this zone to parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, western Kansas and Colorado as well.
In addition to the flash flood risk, some of the thunderstorms associated with the complexes can bring highly localized damaging winds, hail and frequent, vivid lightning.
The repeating downpours and locally severe thunderstorms are being produced on the northern rim of hot air centered over Texas. This pattern is sometimes referred to a "ring of fire" in the weather community.
Cooler and less humid air over the Midwest and Northeast will not make the trip into the region.
During the 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m. CDT Thursday, Parsons, Salina and Colony, Kansas, received approximately 6 inches of rain. However, radar rainfall estimates between 10 and 12 inches were observed southeast of Emporia, Kansas. Wison County emergency management reported that 9 inches of rain fell in 24 hours near Benedict, Kansas.
Vehicles stalled in high water in Independence, Kansas, and water rescues were performed in Cherryvale, Kansas, during Thursday morning.
The rainfall into this weekend is too localized for major flooding of the major rivers in the region. However, brief spikes in river levels can occur on the tributaries to the Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi. These larger rivers may experience a rise of a few feet as runoff works downstream over the next couple of weeks.
Water levels on the major rivers are above average for this time of the year. However, in general, major river flooding that was triggered by rain last fall and melting snow from this past winter has ended.
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