Damaging Thunderstorms Move Across South US, Risks of Severe Weather and Flash Floods Continue

As damaging thunderstorms move eastward across the south US on Wednesday, severe weather and flash flooding are still possible, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.

A big, powerful storm system is responsible for the threat of severe weather, and it will move from the Rockies through the Upper Midwest and into central Canada by midweek.

Through the middle of the week, a large region of unseasonably warm weather will be concentrated mainly east of the Mississippi River, contributing to the risk of severe weather and flash floods.

This scenario will continue through Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Strong wind gusts and flash flooding will be the main dangers from the storms, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Andrew Johnson-Levine. Tornadoes can, however, form in a small number of the strongest thunderstorms.

Tornadoes

On Monday, there were three tornadoes reported, one of which was close to Jessieville, Arkansas, and it damaged at least 14 homes, numerous commercial buildings, and a number of the buildings at a nearby school district, including a high school.

The superintendent of the school district reported two minor injuries as a result of trees and powerlines falling while classes were in session, per the Garland County Sheriff's Office.

There were no missing staff members or students.

After the storm, it was reported that most of Jessieville were without electricity.

A tornado that occurred on Monday night in Montrose, Arkansas, reportedly caused structural damage and trapped people inside homes.

@NWSJacksonMS getting reports several people in Montrose Arkansas are trapped inside their homes around 2nd & 3rd street #arwx #arnews
— South Ark Weather (@searkweather) January 3, 2023

Prolonged Heavy Rain, Flash Floods

Aside from tornadoes, there were other dangers associated with these storms.

Long periods of heavy rain caused flash floods and river flooding in some areas, poor visibility, and several accidents on the region's highways.

Flash flood advisories and warnings were in place from central Kentucky to southwestern Pennsylvania as of early Tuesday afternoon.

A portion of Interstate 55 in Memphis, Tennessee, was shut down because of flooding on Tuesday morning. 4.51 inches of rain fell on Memphis in less than 24 hours.

From central Georgia to southeast Louisiana, both flood and tornado watches were in effect.

In Arkansas, Flash Flood Warnings are still in effect and in some areas, they will remain to be in effect indefinitely.

The earliest expiry will be on January 5 for Clay and Greene Counties, the National Weather Service reported.

In addition to the flood, Clay County, Arkansas will have a gradually increasing chance of rain into the weekend, according to The Weather Channel.

Rain-Wrapped Tornado

Tornadoes may occasionally become engulfed in rain.

A tornado may also be hidden by hilly, forested terrain until it is just seconds away from making landfall on a person's property.

In other situations, a tornado could happen at night.

If a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning is issued for a particular location, AccuWeather forecasters advise all locals in the storm's projected path to seek shelter right away.

Thunderstorms

Storms moving eastward will coalesce into a line of torrential rain, brisk winds, and frequent lightning.

As a result of the storms' linear structure, tornadoes will be less common and pose mainly a threat from straight-line winds, though some cannot be ruled out.

On Wednesday, there will be a continued risk of severe weather farther to the east.

In the afternoon and evening, there will be a chance of severe thunderstorms as far north as southeastern Virginia and the northern part of the Florida Peninsula.

Compared to Monday and Tuesday, the overall density of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday is probably going to be lower, Johnson-Levine said.

There may only be a few downpours in many places, along with a few gusty winds and thunderclaps.

On Wednesday, a severe thunderstorm could still hit a small number of towns.

These storms have the potential to produce a few tornadoes, flash flooding, and strong wind gusts, AccuWeather reported.