'Wall of water' could swamp parts of south-central US as flood threat grows
A thick blanket of moisture flowing north from the Gulf of America was bringing weather havoc and the threat of tornadoes to a broad stretch of the South on Sunday and was forecast to continue dumping heavy rains through Memorial Day.
The ominous weather comes as a record-breaking number of Americans were predicted to travel over the holiday weekend. Rain has already disrupted some drivers hoping to travel 500 miles − the start of Sunday's Indianapolis 500 was delayed about 40 minutes because of light rain.
A massive and mostly stationary front extending from the Southeast to the Southern Plains and Central Rockies was expected to remain in place through Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. "Numerous" flash flooding events are possible and many streams could flood, affecting larger rivers, for parts of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys, the weather service said.
"The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail and a few tornadoes," forecaster Paul Ziegenfelder wrote in a public discussion on the Weather Prediction Center website. Ziegenfelder warned of an increased risk of storms over the Southern Plains with wind gusts of 75 mph or greater and hail 2 inches or greater.
Storms, rainfall: Unsettled weekend in parts of US
Downpours, severe thunderstorms and flooding have battered the South Central states in recent days. In Missouri, Springfield received 2.68 inches of rain on Friday and Saturday.
"Rain will be the most widespread ... tonight through Monday afternoon," the weather service in Springfield said in a social media post Sunday. "Flooding will remain a concern into early this week (along) elevated rivers and streams."
The "bulls-eye" for the heaviest rain thus far has been focused from southern Missouri into eastern Oklahoma, where up to 4.5 inches of rain has fallen in some areas, AccuWeather said. When the rain starts to wind down Monday night into Tuesday, some areas could have received close to a foot of rain.
As the ground becomes saturated, runoff will increase exponentially, fueling sudden rises on small streams and surges along 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," Sosnowksi said. "Small babbling brooks can become raging torrents of water in a matter of a few minutes."
Parts of Arkansas and northern Texas have not experienced heavy rain thus far but could see pockets of heavy rain through Monday, AccuWeather said.
Beyond Memorial Day, AccuWeather says a couple more rounds of rain could sweep across the hardest-hit areas later this week. The main focal point for frequent downpours, however, will likely slip to the south toward the Gulf Coast.
Flood watches were posted Sunday over parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.
Major cities that could be most affected by weather Sunday included Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Memphis. The weather service office in Memphis warned that parts of the area on Sunday could see 60-mph wind gusts and hail the size of quarters.
The forecast was enough for officials to postpone for one week the annual Lemon Drop Festival in Court Park. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra was hoping to go forward with its outdoor concert Sunday night. Showers and thunderstorms were forecast for Monday into Tuesday, threatening a host of outdoor Memorial Day events in the city.
45M Americans will be on roads: : How to avoid the worst Memorial Day traffic
Last year's Indianapolis 500 weather included grandstand-clearing thunderstorms and a more than four-hour rain delay that bumped the end of the race perilously close to sundown. This year? 'Scattered sprinkles after noon' are the biggest meteorological threat facing the 109th running of the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing.'
The weather service's Indianapolis office was predicting mostly cloudy skies with the possibility of light rain over the Speedway, and those light rains delayed the start by about 40 minutes.
The daytime high temperature is expected to reach 68 degrees, and winds are expected to remain mild. If the rain ends, conditions should be near-ideal for the iconic race.
− Eric Larsen, Indianapolis Star
AAA predicted 45.1 million Americans will travel domestically for the holiday weekend – an increase of 1.4 million from last year. Long holiday weekends are ideal for travel because so many people have an extra day off work and students have Monday off from school
"Memorial Day weekend getaways don't have to be extravagant and costly,' said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. "While some travelers embark on dream vacations and fly hundreds of miles across the country, many families just pack up the car and drive to the beach or take a road trip to visit friends."
AAA also predicts a surge of 2% in air passengers for the holiday weekend. Read more here.
− Kathleen Wong
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wall of water could swamp parts of south-central US; flood risk grows
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