Flash flood warning issued in Texas as downpours and storms target north-central Texas

Showers and thunderstorms are taking aim at the central United States this week, bringing much-needed rain to some drought-stricken areas. But it has also raised the risk of flash floods. Some storms could hit hard enough to flood streets and overwhelm drainage in local spots, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

Flash flood warnings have been issued in north-central Texas by meteorologists, according to USA Today. The warning comes at a time when central US braces for a series of thunderstorms that threaten to spin up tornadoes, trigger flash flooding, and drop damaging, baseball-sized hail.

Flash flood warning in US

A flash flood warning was issued for Dallas County and surrounding areas, with forecasters expecting rain to fall at a rate of 2 inches per hour. An estimated 2 inches had already inundated the metropolitan area as of early April 23, according to the National Weather Service.


ALSO READ: Wildfires in New Jersey explode to 8,500 acres, force mass evacuations and threaten structures: 10 points

"Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly," the weather service said in an advisory. Through the rest of the week, rounds of shows and thunderstorms are expected to drench much of the Plains region from northern Texas and Oklahoma to Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

"The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes," the weather service said. "Moreover, severe thunderstorm wind gusts and hail will be the primary threat over parts of the Central Plains, Middle Mississippi Valley, into the Great Lakes."

These rounds of storms follow a severe weather outbreak over Easter Weekend that spun up damaging tornadoes, uprooted trees and left at least five people dead in Oklahoma.