Heavy rains in forecast threaten flash flooding across large swath of US
Widespread heavy rainfall across much of the eastern and southern United States brings the threat of scattered flash flooding and some thunderstorms to close out the week.
Nearly 4 million people in the Northeast were under a flood watch from the National Weather Service early on May 8 across parts of New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Flood warnings and advisories are also in place along full streams and rivers after heavy rains in April and early May in states including Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected across a large swath of the country from New England, southwestward through the Ohio Valley, and southeastward along the Gulf Coast all the way into Texas, which has been hammered by repeated rounds of severe storms and flooding, the weather service said.
Thunderstorms, hail expected in Southeast
Thunderstorms, strong wind gusts and hail over 2 inches in diameter are expected in parts of the Appalachians, Tennessee Valley and Southeast.
A "cluster of organized thunderstorms" should develop the afternoon of May 8 over parts of western and central Kentucky, middle Tennessee and the southern Appalachians, the Storm Prediction Center said. It will then move into Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas later in the day. Isolated thunderstorms could also appear in northern Florida, while large hail and damaging wind gusts are forecast across much of Texas throughout the afternoon.
Slow-moving rain system to hit south, Gulf Coast states
Northeasterners enduring days of rain and flooding threats will see relief by Mother's Day, as a storm system makes its way out through New England and Canada, AccuWeather reported. But there are still days ahead of rain and flood risks coming to the southern United States into next week.
The same slow-moving weather system that has brought heavy rains in the central and southern parts of the country in recent days will impact the Gulf Coast states, according to AccuWeather. The rain is expected to drench northern Florida, Alabama, Georgia and parts of the Carolinas over four to five days.