Mother Nature Bringing More Storms to the South-Central US

Posted: March 22, 2021 4:11 pm

While parts of the southern US are still cleaning up after last week’s severe weather and tornadic activity, Mother Nature is going to be handing the region another battering coming up this week.

Heavy Rainfall Expected Across the South: Two back-to-back storm systems are predicted to bring heavy rainfall to a large part of the south-central US in the days to come. Forecasters are saying that the rain could reach over one foot in just a few days. This rainfall will make the region susceptible to flash flooding, complicating the clean-up efforts still underway from last week’s damaging storms.

First Storm Up: The first system will move through starting on Tuesday, hitting parts of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The good news is that the rain will be staggered enough to mitigate the chances of widespread flooding potential. However, the region will be still at risk of isolated flooding from heavy bands of rains that will likely move through the area. Cities in the path of this first storm system include Dallas, Oklahoma City, and St. Louis.

Second System Arrives Right on its Heels: The second system will begin making its presence known by Wednesday or early Thursday. With this second storm, parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama will be under the gun. This system is expected to bring rain that is heavy enough to lead to small stream and urban flooding.

Parts of interstates 10, 20, and 40 may see flooding that could cause potential travel delays through Thursday. Travelers need to be cautious when heading out.

New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi are two cities that are expected to take the brunt of this second system. Other cities that need to be prepared include Memphis, Nashville, Little Rock, and Baton Rouge. Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama may also see the heavy rain bands track to the east and affect them in a significant way.

Tornadic Activity Also a Threat: In addition to the heavy and persistent rainfall, the area is also going to be threatened with the potential of tornadoes. This severe weather will fire up late Monday in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Along with the rain, residents in this area need to be ready for large hail, thunder and lightning, high winds, and tornadoes.

The next great risk of severe weather will arrive on Thursday. The biggest threat on this day will be along the Gulf Coast, including the cities of Houston, New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi, and Birmingham, Alabama. This is due to a low-level jet stream pulling in the warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico.

Because there is a strong chance that some of this severe weather may arrive during the middle of the night, it is important that you have alerts enabled on your phone so that you are not caught off guard.

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