Strong storms hit central US. Who is under flash flood warnings?
As severe thunderstorms and rain hit much of the central part of the United States, flash flooding threatened parts of Texas and Oklahoma and areas along the Mississippi River.
Flood warnings blanketed parts of northwestern Texas and southern Oklahoma on April 26, where more than 2 million people were warned to be ready to move to higher ground and avoid driving through flooded roadways, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service in Norman, Oklahoma, said in a post that dangerous flooding was already impacting the cities of Moore and Norman. Strong storms with large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes are also possible in the area as a storm system moves to the east, forecasters there said.
Water rescues were underway in Duncan, Oklahoma, emergency management officials reported to the National Weather Service. Lions Park in Norman reported water several feet deep, the weather service said. Between 1-2 inches of rain had fallen from Norman to Moore, and up to another 3 inches of rain was expected.
"Don't drive on flooded roadways. Turn Around Don't Drown!," the weather service said.
Meanwhile, flood advisories were in place along the banks of the Mississippi River, which is now surging from runoff brought by historic rainfall in early April, AccuWeather reported.
The flood risk comes as a large swath of central U.S. states have been hit with back-to-back days of strong to severe thunderstorms and hail, and are gearing up for another outbreak of storms early next week that could bring strong tornadoes. Eastern Kansas, northwest Missouri, most of Iowa, southern Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin are at the greatest risk, the Storm Prediction Center said.