Category: Posts EN

Widespread Flooding Across the Plains & Mississippi River Valley!

Written by Team Morecast

 

Weeks of stormy weather over the Plains and Mississippi Valley were punctuated by a major severe outbreak in the past three days. While deadly tornadoes and gigantic hail grab headlines, a much larger segment of the region’s population is being hammered by severe flooding.

 

 

The wet pattern has been in place for several weeks. Rainfall has been 2-4 times the normal amounts from late April into May from Kansas to Texas and into portions of Arkansas and Louisiana. This tremendous amount of water has pushed dozens of major rivers above flood stage, in some cases approaching record values. Hundreds of square miles of floodplain have been inundated. Numerous homes and businesses are under water or destroyed by the swollen, raging rivers. Some small rural communities have been forced to evacuate their entire towns.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the pattern will remain favorable for heavy rains in this region through the rest of the month. This will further hamper efforts by farmers to start planting. Last year at this time farmers in Illinois had planted almost 90% of the season’s corn crop; so far this year, only 11% is in the ground yet. After early to mid-June, the planting window will start to close. That’s additional anxiety for farmers already troubled by trade tensions with China and the lowest crop prices in more than a decade.

Severe Storms Rip Across the Plains Monday to Early Tuesday!

Written by Team Morecast

 

An unusually strong upper level low spun out of the Southern Rockies on Monday. It encountered plenty of warm Gulf moisture over the Southern Plains, setting the stage for a classic spring severe storm outbreak.

 

 

The ingredients were all there for dangerous severe cells. Strong upper level winds rolled over a very warm, moist near-surface environment. There was also plenty of cyclonic spin to help generate supercells capable of producing tornadoes and giant hail. Conditions were so favorable, in fact, that the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a rare “high-risk” severe outlook for the day, the first time in two years that such a forecast has been warranted.

 

 

A few isolated severe cells flared during the morning hours, but the outbreak really accelerated in the mid-afternoon. Numerous reports of hail larger than two inches (five cm) were reported, including a stone that was 5.5 inches wide (11 cm) at Wellington, TX! Wind gusts with the stronger squalls reached 70-90 mph (110-140 kph). Many of the cells also produced tornadoes well into the overnight hours, one of the most dangerous weather situations. A tornado moved very close to Tulsa International Airport just past 6:30 am Tuesday morning, causing some damage to the neighboring zoo. Officials quickly reassured concerned citizens that no animals were harmed!

 

 

Persistent heavy rains also created flooding problems across portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri that are still ongoing as of Tuesday evening. Much of the region has seen 4-8 inch (100-200 mm) rains since Monday morning. The latest round of heavy rains have contributed to totals 5-6 times higher than normal so far in May. Numerous road closures and emergency water rescues were necessary. Record-breaking river flooding is likely in the coming days as runoff flows into larger streams and rivers.

 

Severe Cyclone Trevor Rolling Across Cape Yorke in Northern Queensland!

Written by Team Morecast

 

Trevor is a small but fierce cyclone about to move into the northern Cape Yorke peninsula. High winds and heavy rains will sweep across the peninsula through the next 24-36 hours. By late Wednesday into Thursday, Trevor will be emerging over the very warm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Rapid intensification is likely before a potential second landfall this weekend in northeast NT!

 

 

Dangerous high winds and flooding rainfall are lashing the northeast coast of Queensland, especially from Innisfail north (see map above). Rainfall locally up to 400 mm is likely before the storm is over, leading to significant flash flooding. Damaging winds are affecting a smaller area of the peninsula, but within that zone gusts up to 175 kph are likely. Trevor could be even stronger for the second landfall as compared to the first with higher winds exceeding 200 kph! Trees and powerlines will come down with these winds, leading to prolonged power outages.

Historic River Flooding Sweeps the Plains and Midwest!

Written by Team Morecast

 

A wave of heavy rain swept through the Midwest and central Plains with the huge winter storm earlier this week. Temperatures also rose dramatically with the system after months of snow and sub-freezing weather. The combination of rapid snow melt and heavy rain have overwhelmed streams and rivers across the region. Numerous stations are reporting major flooding, some shattering previous record levels.

 

 

The map above shows river gauges reporting levels above flood stage with purple indicating major flooding. There are forty-four such stations from the Dakotas all the way to the central Gulf coast. Several rivers have surged to levels never previously recorded, inundating numerous houses and businesses and forcing widespread evacuations. Fifty-three counties in Nebraska alone have declared emergencies and requested federal aid. As with any large-scale river flood event, high waters are affecting tributaries now with flooding likely for the major rivers such as the Mississippi later on. Ice jams are exacerbating the flooding in many areas, demolishing roads and bridges. Below are some tweets showing the terrible toll exacted by the record flooding. Lead photo courtesy flickr contributor Lauri Vain.