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Forecasters say the central United States could face historic flooding this week as heavy rains and thunderstorms repeatedly hit the same areas.
AccuWeather has warned of a 1-in-1,000-year flood risk in northeast Arkansas and western Kentucky, with the worst-affected areas potentially receiving four months' worth of rainfall in five days. Some of these areas are already prone to flooding due to significant rainfall in recent months.
“We are concerned about the risk of life-threatening and historic flooding that could evolve into severe river flooding,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in a statement. “Hazardous situations could quickly become life-threatening emergencies if the flood threat becomes that severe.”
Heavy rains are expected to fall Wednesday night (April 2) into Sunday (April 6), causing widespread flash flooding, especially in the Lower Ohio Valley, Mid-South and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain is flowing into the central U.S. from the tropics via an atmospheric river — a narrow band of the atmosphere that carries heat and water vapor. The movement of moisture is expected to slow and essentially stop between now and the weekend, bringing heavy rainfall to those same regions.
“A broad area of high pressure off the southeastern U.S. coast will push moisture from the Caribbean and Gulf into the central portions of the country,” Porter said. “The weather pattern will resemble a traffic jam in the atmosphere, with repeated thunderstorms and rain over the same areas. This creates ideal conditions for severe flooding problems.”
AccuWeather says parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky are expected to see up to 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) of rain between Wednesday and Saturday (April 5). Some of these regions have already experienced deadly flooding this year, especially Kentucky, where flooding killed at least 24 people in February.
Forecasters expect the rain to ease over the weekend, but rivers could continue to rise into next week. Porter said people in affected areas should be prepared to move to higher ground.
“Continuous rainfall will initially cause problems along creeks, streams and low-lying flood-prone areas, then progress to river flooding issues as all the water flows downstream,” Porter said. “Be prepared to move quickly to higher ground.”
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Patrick Pester is a well-known news writer for Live Science. His work has appeared on other science platforms such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick switched to journalism after working in zoos and wildlife conservation early in his career. He received a Master's Excellence Scholarship to study at Cardiff University, where he completed an MA in International Journalism. He also holds a second MA in Biodiversity, Evolution and Conservation in Action from Midd
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