An atmospheric river taking aim at the Midwest and parts of the South could exceed the 500- to 1,000-year average for rainfall in the area, meteorologists warned.
Why It Matters
Atmospheric rivers are a "long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The storms brought by atmospheric rivers are known for their heavy snow, heavy rain and strong winds . They more commonly affect the West Coast , particularly during the winter months.
What To Know
But a similar storm system will bring four months' worth of rain in a period of five days to a 1,000-mile swath in the central U.S.
The incoming storm is a one-in-1,000-year event. An AccuWeather spokesperson told DIwida.Blog & News that floods like this have a 0.1 percent chance of happening in any given year.
On Monday, AccuWeather published a report about the "conveyor belt of moisture," which is going to bring hours of heavy rain from Wednesday to Saturday night from Arkansas through the Mississippi Valley and into the Ohio Valley.
"That moisture plume, known as an atmospheric river, will be tropical in nature and originate from the Caribbean," AccuWeather Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist William Clark said in the report. "Tropical moisture raises the risk of excessive rainfall."
Occasionally, the precipitation intensity might surpass multiple inches within an hour, leading to swift flash floods. In certain regions, over twelve inches of rain could accumulate throughout the span of five days.
Scott Homan, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, informed DIwida.Blog & News The weather patterns will make the storm stationary over the area, resulting in multiple episodes of intense rain showers. He cautioned that “substantial flooding” will affect southeastern Missouri, southern Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and northwestern Mississippi.
Floodwaters can rapidly turn hazardous and potentially deadly as the influx of moisture fills up local rivers, creeks, and streams. According to AccuWeather, major rivers anticipated to experience notable increases in water levels encompass the Ohio, Wabash, White, St. Francis, Kentucky, and Tennessee Rivers.
National Weather Service (NWS) offices across the region have already issued numerous flood watches ahead of the storm. Flood watches are in place for Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and parts of Oklahoma and Texas.
What People Are Saying
Clark said in the AccuWeather report: "Should the amount of rain occur that we anticipate over the middle of the nation, it would exceed the 500 to 1,000-year average. Truly, the potential is there for a historic flash flooding event."
The NWS office in Louisville, Kentucky: "This is expected to be a high end event with life-threatening flooding. Major flash flooding and river flooding will be possible. Rush to completion any flooding preparation by Wednesday."
What Happens Next
The storm is expected to bring excessive rainfall across the region by Wednesday night and the deluge could continue through Saturday.
To best prepare, Homan said, people in the forecast area should ensure their cellphones are charged and that they have access to a radio in case power goes out. He urged them to heed any warnings or evacuation orders and take shelter as the storm progresses.
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