Map Shows Flash Flood Threat Affecting Millions on Friday
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National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have warned that millions of people across three states are at risk for heavy rain that could lead to flash floods on Friday.
Why It Matters
On Thursday, torrential rain pummeled the Northeast, prompting the governors of New York and New Jersey to declare states of emergency as flash floods overwhelmed busy roads at peak travel time. Now, although much of the U.S. is expecting some sort of rainfall on Friday, the heaviest downpours are shifting south.
What To Know
On Thursday night, the NWS posted a map on Facebook showing the main weather threats, which included flash floods, facing the U.S. on Friday.
"Scattered thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are expected to bring the potential for flooding across the Carolinas, Southern Plains, and the front-range of the Rockies on Friday," the post said. "Fire weather concerns will persist in the northwestern Great Basin on Friday due to isolated dry thunderstorms. Air quality will continue to be impacted through Saturday in the Midwest due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires."
A map from the National Weather Service shows the most likely areas for flash flooding on Friday are in Texas and the Carolinas.
A map from the National Weather Service shows the most likely areas for flash flooding on Friday are in Texas and the Carolinas.
National Weather Service
According to the map, all of South Carolina, much of North Carolina and east-central Texas had the highest risk of seeing rainfall heavy enough to cause flash floods. Meanwhile, rain and thunderstorms are expected across the Pacific Northwest, central U.S., South and Northeast.
Despite the forecast, the only flash flood warning in place on Friday morning around 10:30 a.m. Eastern time was for the Tulsa, Oklahoma, forecast region.
Bob Oravec, the lead forecaster at the NWS Weather Prediction Center, told Newsweek that heavy rain could begin in the Carolinas in the early afternoon, with thunderstorms peaking between 6 to 8 p.m. In Texas, the storms are expected to begin later in the night and peak around 3 or 4 a.m. Saturday.
"The risk has definitely pressed southward from where it was yesterday," Oravec said. "Right now, there's really not much on the radar, but as the afternoon goes on there's a frontal boundary that's lying across central southern North Carolina into northern South Carolina that will be the focusing mechanism for the thunderstorms this afternoon."
What People Are Saying
A National Weather Service forecast issued on Friday said: "A front extending from the southern Mid-Atlantic southwestward to the Southern Plains will move southward to northern Florida westward across the Gulf Coast and then northwestward across Texas to the Southern High Plains by Sunday.
"The front will trigger showers and thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy rain, over parts of the southern Mid-Atlantic. ... The associated heavy rain will primarily create localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and low-lying areas being the most vulnerable."
The forecast continued: "Additionally, showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain will develop along and near the boundary over parts of the Southern Plains and Southern High Plains. Therefore, the WPC has issued a Slight Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over two areas of the Southern Plains and Southern High Plains through Saturday morning. The associated heavy rain will primarily create localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and low-lying areas being the most vulnerable."
What Happens Next
Rain is expected to continue across the U.S. throughout the weekend. Residents in the high-risk areas should monitor local weather guidance as the storms arrive.
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