Flash floods, damaging winds and steady downpours to soak Central Plains into late week

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist

Rounds of drenching showers and locally severe thunderstorms will raise the risk of flash flooding across part of the central United States into late week.

Thunderstorm complexes will continue to track along a corridor where hot and steamy air to the south meets cool, less humid air to the north.

"Episodes of rain, some heavy, and locally severe thunderstorms will push west to east through Thursday," AccuWeather SeniorMeteorologist Jack Boston said.

"The weather pattern produced a derecho, or long-track damaging thunderstorm event on Tuesday, which traveled from southern Iowa to southwestern Ohio," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

Severe thunderstorms with consistent damaging winds traveled along an approximate 500-mile-long swath during the event.

On Tuesday night, a separate area of severe thunderstorms gathered over Nebraska, with a wind gust of 91 mph reported at a weather station at KNEB in Scottsbluff. Extensive tree damage occurred in the area. While thunderstorms may continue to bring damaging winds through Thursday, the greatest risk to lives and property is likely to be from flash flooding.

Portions of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, will be at greatest risk for heavy, locally severe thunderstorms and flooding downpours through Wednesday night. Flash flooding warnings were already in effect early Wednesday morning from near Broken Bow, Nebraska, to just north of Kansas City, Missouri, due to slow-moving thunderstorms.

The downpours will spread slightly farther southward on Thursday, perhaps extending into part of Oklahoma and Arkansas, while continuing to douse Kansas and Missouri.

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Motorists on stretches of interstates 29, 35, 44, 70 and 80 should be prepared for slower travel times and a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds.

Flooded roadways could force some drivers to turn around and find safer, alternate routes to their destinations.

Airline passengers in Kansas City and St. Louis could be hit with delays.

People heading to Busch Stadium on Wednesday or Thursday evening should come prepared with rain gear as either game has the potential to be delayed.

Rounds of downpours are expected to continue to pester the central Plains on Friday as the southward progress of September-like airstalls over the nation's midsection.

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