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According to numerous weather forecasters, the central portion of the United States is under severe threat this week of tornadoes and once-in-a-thousand-years flooding. The string of tornadoes will extend from Texas to Ohio beginning Wednesday, while massive flooding is expected to occur in parts of Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warns that over 15 states are in the path of this massive storm, and includes Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, West Virginia, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
“Extensive, rare, and at times catastrophic, flash flooding is likely… flash flood water levels may reach areas that rarely or have never flooded before,” said NWS forecasters in Little Rock.
“This isn’t routine. This is a rare, high-impact and potentially devastating event,” the National Weather Service in Memphis warned.
The NWS is forecasting more than a foot of rain accumulating in some areas between Wednesday and Saturday. Accuweather also warned that over 18 inches of rainfall is expected in parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
“Flooding experts are concerned about a life-threatening and historic flooding event across parts of the central United States with a feed of warm moist air, at the same time several atmospheric jetream disturbances coming across this area,” Accuweather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter warned. “This means repeated downpours in the same area, from parts of Arkansas toward Kentucky and Tennessee, and major flooding is going to ensue in these areas.”
“A big area of high pressure off the coast of the Southeast U.S. will funnel moisture from the Caribbean and Gulf into parts of the central U.S.,” Porter said in a statement. “The weather pattern will look like a traffic jam in the atmosphere, with repeating thunderstorms and downpours over the same areas. This is a recipe for big flooding problems.”
CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert reported that Wednesday will “be the start of a multi-day, once-in-a-lifetime flooding event.”
“Numerous tornadoes, along with multiple long-track EF3+ tornadoes appear likely,” the CNN Storm Prediction Center warned, adding that a “rare level 5 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place for parts of the Mississippi Valley.”
A rare level 4 of 4 high risk of flooding rainfall is also in place Thursday for northeastern Arkansas through western Kentucky. CNN also reported “the threat of flooding will ramp up with each passing day starting Wednesday.”