Forecast Calling for More Rain in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys

There has been no rest for the flood-weary Mississippi Valley. A new flash flood threat has sprung up across the region as another wave of heavy rain takes aim. Here is a look at the latest in the flooding situation in this part of the central U.S.

Mississippi Valley Will Continue to See Flooding Risks

More rain is on the way for the lower portions of the Mississippi Valley, raising the risk of more flooding. This part of the valley is already dealing with this concern thanks to torrential rainfall from earlier in the month. The water from the early April rain event is just now cycling down into the Mississippi Delta region. The result will be a heightened risk of flooding along streams and some of the smaller rivers in the nation's heartland.

Historic levels of rain fell during the first week of April across a large swath of the Tennessee, Ohio, and middle Mississippi valleys. The runoff generated from that rain event is finally trickling down into the lower portion of the mighty Mississippi. Moderate to high flood levels are now a threat to the Delta region, including Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Forecasters are warning that it could be the middle of May by the time that the waters fall below flood stage across the entirety of the Mississippi Valley. The incoming rain will serve to exacerbate the chance of flooding.

Flash flooding will also be an issue for a zone from northern Texas and up into the confluence point of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Urban areas and communities located along small streams will be at the highest risk of flash flooding next week. Despite next week's rainfall predictions falling well short of what the region saw earlier in the month, it will still be enough moisture to trigger the chance of flooding.

The latest long-range weather predictions are calling for 2 to 4 inches of rain over a period of two to three days in the week ahead. Some localized areas could see twice that amount of rain.

When to Expect the Rain

The moisture machine will fire up on Tuesday for places such as St. Louis. Severe thunderstorms could roam the Arch City on Tuesday afternoon and evening. It will remain seasonable with highs hovering in the mid 70s and lows that fall to the 60-degree mark. The rain showers and thundestorms will become even more persistent in St. Louis on Tuesday. Temperatures will remain in the low to mid 70s.

Moving into the Ohio Valley, Cincinnati will also be under the gun for rain and stormy conditions on Tuesday. The chance of thunderstorms will increase in the afternoon and evening hours as highs climb to about the 80-degree mark. Some of the storm cells could carry severe impacts at times. The Tuesday forecast is calling for winds out of the southwest at 10 to 20 mph. Cincinnati will remain under the threat of thunderstorms throughout the day on Wednesday and Thursday, increasing the odds of more rainfall accumulation.

North Texas will be in the crosshairs of the rain on Wednesday. In addition to rainfall accumulations of about an inch, there is also the possibility of severe thunderstorms across the metroplex. The mercury will slip from the low 80s on Tuesday to a top reading of 70 degrees on Wednesday. The city will not be out of the clear of rain and storms until Thursday.

Oklahoma City is another major metro area that should brace for severe weather on Tuesday and Wednesday. While there will be some breaks in the rain, the weather maker will persist long enough to send meaningful moisture over the capital city. The cloud cover will keep the mercury in the upper 60s in the capital city. Winds will clock in at 10 to 15 mph during this stretch.

We will continue to monitor the threat of flooding in the days to come, updating the forecast as needed.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.