Forecasters Warn of Major Flooding Possibilities in Central U.S.

An atmospheric river setting up over the central U.S. will raise the risk of life-threatening flooding for millions of Americans over the next few days. Here is a look at this potentially dangerous situation unfolding.

Life-Threatening Flooding Forecast for Millions of Americans

Forecasters are warning that up to four months' worth of rain may fall in a period of less than a week over the nation's heartland in the days ahead. Rain of this magnitude will raise the threat of major flooding that could put lives and property at risk. The firehose of moisture will fire up on Wednesday and linger into the weekend across parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois.

Over 46 million Americans are in the bullseye for the torrential rainfall. At least 13 million of these people are in the zone expected to see major flooding.

This is the same general area that experienced extreme flooding in February when a storm system stalled out over the region and dumped several inches of rain over Kentucky and beyond. At least 20 deaths were blamed on this flooding event. Unfortunately, forecasters believe that the upcoming influx of moisture could dump even more rain than fell during the February storm.

An area of high pressure is currently building over the Southeast. This high-pressure zone will work to block the normal west-to-east path that storms typically take when moving across the country. As a result, the moisture machine will slow down over the nation's heartland and bring heavy rain over several days in the 1,000-mile swath of land from the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas and up into the mid-Mississippi Valley and the Ohio Valley.

While the West Coast is no stranger to atmospheric rivers, this part of the country does not see them with as much frequency. The plumes of moisture unleashed across the western U.S. during the winter months originate in the Pacific Ocean. Conversely, this atmospheric river is bringing up moisture from the Caribbean.