Potentially "generational" flood event ramps up Thursday

Just a few weeks after the last one, another major tornado outbreak struck the Mississippi Valley and Midwest on Wednesday. While the most widespread tornado threat is likely done, potential for more strong twisters continues and the risk for substantial flooding is increasing.

Weather Watch

Rounds of rain. The first of two Level 4 of 4 “high” risks for flooding through Saturday focuses on the mid-Mississippi Valley on Thursday. About 35 million are within a flood watch running from northeast Texas to Ohio. “Several rounds of thunderstorms will result in heavy rainfall and generational flooding,” warned the NWS in Memphis, where 10 to as much as 15 inches is expected from the several-day barrage.

And a thunderstorms train. Following Wednesday’s tornado outbreak, several more days of severe weather are ahead before the storm system is flushed east over the weekend. Many of the same places at risk yesterday are under the gun again Thursday, including Little Rock and Memphis.

Lightning links

Video: Large tornado on Wednesday near Lake City, Ark.

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Tornado Thursday

Understaffed and, in at least one case, sans working toilet — wtf?? — NWS offices went through yet another massive stress test Wednesday.

Around 300 warnings for tornadoes and 550 for severe thunderstorms have been issued since the event began Tuesday in the Plains. At least three dozen tornado reports are logged with the NWS so far — numbers will rise, perhaps a good deal.

April is the beginning of peak season for tornado activity in the United States on average. The busiest three months of the year are April, May and June as tornado activity migrates west and northwest into summer.

In many ways it is a continuation of a very active pattern in March. With several more days to come in this volley, the month could quickly gather numbers. However, an extended less favorable — read: colder — pattern is ahead, which could eat up a chunk of April once this episode winds down.

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Weekday morning newsletter by a journalist/forecaster. Connecting weather and climate change dots while occasionally stirring the pot.

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