Tropical Moisture to Bring Wet Weather and Flood Risk to the Southern US by End of Week

A tropical moisture is expected to bring renewed heavy rainfall and flood risk across the southern US by the end of the week, according to the latest weather forecast of AccuWeather. Based on the short-range outlook, the wet weather may persist until next week by Thursday, September 15. Multiple states, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina, can be impacted.

The weather outlook also projects heavy rain throughout the region could result in flash flooding, riverine flooding, reduced visibility, and travel delays. In addition, the inclement weather could also result in power outages, affecting both residential and business establishments. Coastal flooding also poses a risk to communities along the Gulf Coast, especially southern Louisiana and southern Florida.

The renewed wet weather comes two weeks after torrential rain lashed out across South US, placing around 13 million Americans under flood warnings. The heavy downpour also created life-threatening conditions in multiple areas, including in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in North Texas which left at least one person dead. In addition, flooding also exposed a looming water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi.

South US Flood Risk

AccuWeather meteorologists said people in the same areas inundated by heavy rain showers in recent weeks should prepare for further flooding. The accumulation of widespread showers could reach between 1-2 inches in areas from southern Florida and Georgia, as well as in other parts of the region where 10 inches of rain is possible.

Meanwhile, rounds of showers and thunderstorms are likely to hit the Southeast US for several days in a row, also bringing flooding risk, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff.

It is known for several days that the US and its surrounding countries is surround by Hurricane Kay off the Southwest, Hurricane Early off the Southeast, and Hurricane Danielle off the East Coast. However, the AccuWeather meteorologists have been discussing for several days of an unnamed coastal storm over the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm is reportedly somehow responsible for the recurring rounds of wet weather. Even if it is expected to dissipate within 48 hours, it will instead pull tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico northward, which can support any developing severe weather and causing above-average rainfall.

Previous Flood Warnings

In late August, the flood warnings in the southern and southwestern US came after heavy rain fell in the drought-strike regions, causing floodwaters to submerge vehicles in Texas and sweeping hikers off their feet in Arizona, according to The Guardian.

US weather authorities and meteorologists at that time called that weather phenomenon as a rare rainfall event.

2016 South US Flooding

In March 2016, similar natural event occurred when the South US received a remarkable amount of precipitation due to a slow-moving weather system.

The system led to flooding in several communities in multiple states. One of the main reasons is the overflow of several major river basins, according to satellite images of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).