By Kyle Elliott, AccuWeather meteorologist
After days of deadly severe thunderstorms brought widespread damage across the southeastern and central United States, the threat for flooding and violent thunderstorms will continue across the center of the nation into Monday.
There were over 225 preliminary reports of wind damage and 30 reports of hail across the nation from Saturday’s destructive storms, and two more days of active weather still lie ahead.
Flooding rain and severe weather spread from eastern Kansas, Oklahoma and northern Arkansas to Missouri on Sunday morning, leading to rapid rises on creeks and smaller rivers across the region.
One woman was found dead amid flooding in eastern Oklahomabefore dawn. A flash flood emergency was declared for southern Newton and northern McDonald counties in southwestern Missouri later in the morning.
Indian Creek is rising very rapidly at McNatt. 6.75” total. We’re stranded currently. C Hwy, CC Hwy and McNatt Rd, all under water. @NWSSpringfield #MOwx
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The larger Missouri and Arkansas rivers will also continue to rise this week as runoff from the heavy rain drains downstream
"Heavy rain from late last week and this weekend will also halt the recession of the Mississippi River along the border of Missouri and Illinois," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. "The river at St. Louis is expected to climb back to near major flood stage of 40 feet later this week."
The flooding rain across Missouri and neighboring parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas will taper off by the end of Sunday, while the threat for severe weather shifts to the south and east.
"A line of thunderstorms will become severe and sweep southward across southern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and north-central and eastern Texas into Sunday night," Pydynowski added.
These violent thunderstorms will target communities such as Ardmore, Oklahoma; Dallas, Abilene, Tyler and Waco, Texas; Little Rock and El Dorado, Arkansas; and Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana. Severe thunderstorms may also race down to Alexandria and Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Houston later on Sunday night.
"While the worst of the severe weather is expected to the south, violent thunderstorms will continue to rumble from western Tennessee to Illinois and Indiana into Sunday evening," Pydynowski said. "These gusty thunderstorms can rumble northward to Chicagoland."
Thunderstorms have already caused widespread tree damage in southwestern Indiana earlier on Sunday.
The main threats from the severe weather through Sunday night, much like on Saturday, will remain widespread incidents of damage to trees, power lines and roofs on account of strong wind gusts and areas of flash flooding.
In addition, large hail and a few, isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
A broad area of disturbed weather consolidating into a more organized storm system that will ultimately track into the Great Lakes region by Monday night is the culprit behind the ongoing, unsettled conditions.
With plenty of warm, moist air being drawn northward into the Central states, multiple lines and clusters of thunderstorms can develop at almost any time of the day or night.
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For motorists traveling along portions of interstates 20, 30, 40, 44, 55, 70 and 80, rapid reductions in roadway visibility and blinding downpours could cause major delays and make driving difficult, and even dangerous.
Be sure to slow down in heavy downpours or on wet roadways to reduce the risk of hydroplaning when traveling at highway speeds, and never drive through water-covered roadways.
It is impossible to determine the depth of water on a roadway using only one’s eyesight, and it only takes about 2 feet of water to carry away most vehicles.
“Remember to move indoors at the first rumble of thunder since it is at this time that you are at risk for being struck by lightning,” according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski added.
On Monday, the threat for locally severe thunderstorms focus on Texas and neighboring parts of southern Arkansas and Louisiana.
Because the energy supporting the storm system will be lifting northward into the northern tier of the United States on Monday, the threat for widespread severe weather will be less in these areas than what it was farther north on Sunday.
There can still be incidents of damaging winds and especially flash flooding since the storms are forecast to move more slowly than those on Sunday.
Cities such as San Antonio, Houston, Tyler and Dallas, Texas, could be targeted with at least a few hours of wet weather spanning Monday and Monday night.
"There can be more than one round of heavy and severe thunderstorms impacting the South Central states on Monday," Pydynowski said.
"If the severe weather from the end of the weekend spreads to the Houston and San Antonio areas early on Monday, Dallas can be dry until stronger thunderstorms that develop over western Texas spread to the Metroplex late in the day and into the evening," she added.
Another, more organized area of severe weather will erupt across the Tennessee and Ohio River valleys on Monday as the storm system moves into the western Great Lakes region.
Outdoor sporting events, such as Major League Baseball games, could be delayed or even canceled as the storms roll through the region.
“The threat to lives and property from severe thunderstorms will shift focus from the central and southern Plains to the northern tier of the nation's midsection in the wake of this storm,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said.
A northward push in the jet stream will be responsible for bringing about this change in the weather pattern during the middle and latter part of this week, giving the south-central U.S. a much-needed reprieve from the onslaught of relentless thunderstorms.
Download the free AccuWeather app to remain abreast of the latest severe weather watches and warnings. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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