Millions at risk as torrential rains slam the US — flash floods could hit without warning - is your city in the danger zone?

A lot of people across almost all of the U.S. are at risk of sudden flash floods this Friday. July's hot and humid weather is making it easy for storms to drop very heavy rain quickly, according to the reports.

East and midwest hit hard

A storm front is stuck from Oklahoma to Virginia and can bring lots of rain and flooding. Northern Virginia and northeastern West Virginia are under a Level 3 out of 4 flood risk. Other areas like the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, and Midwest have a Level 2 flood risk, as per the CNN report.

Some places could get 1-2 inches, others might get more because the ground is already soaked from earlier rain. West Virginia–Virginia border may get 5 inches of rain fast, which would be a 1-in-100 year event, as per the reports.


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NWS said this could lead to “worst-case scenario” flash flooding. Petersburg, Virginia had big floods recently and could get hit again.

Midwest: Storms break records

Midwest will get slow-moving storms and maybe strong thunderstorms later in the day. On Thursday, states like Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, and Missouri broke rainfall records. The Kansas City area got up to 9 inches of rain early Thursday, causing flooding. In Arkansas, storms flooded roads Thursday night and water rescues had to be done, as stated by CNN report.

Heavier rain is happening more often because of climate change. Since 1970, 90% of big U.S. cities are seeing stronger hourly rain rates. Since Wednesday night, southern Louisiana has received several inches of rain.

One storm didn’t become a hurricane, but it rained heavily. Up to 12 inches of rain fell in wetland areas that soaked it up. On Friday, places from Florida Panhandle to east Texas have a Level 2 flood risk. Coastal areas may get 1 to 4 more inches, with some places possibly seeing 8 inches, as per the CNN report.

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Southwest still in danger

Parts of the Southwest, Rockies, and Nevada are also in danger of flash floods, especially where wildfires happened earlier. Ruidoso, New Mexico and Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona are under Level 2 risk. Ruidoso had deadly floods last week—3 people died, including 2 kids.

On Thursday, more flooding happened and 3 people had to be rescued from fast water. Thankfully, all rescued people were okay, and no new deaths were reported by Friday. Because of wildfires, the ground in Ruidoso can’t soak up rain, so any storm quickly causes flooding, according to the CNN report.

FAQs

Q1. Which US states are at risk of flash floods right now?
States from Oklahoma to Virginia, parts of the Midwest, Gulf Coast, and Southwest are facing flash flood threats due to heavy rain.

Q2. Why are flash floods happening more often in the US?
Climate change is causing stronger storms and heavier rainfall, making flash floods more common in many areas.