AccuWeather meteorologists warn some locations could see close to a foot of rain by the time the holiday weekend concludes, leading to dangerous flash flooding and disruptions.
Relentless downpours and severe thunderstorms that have already battered the South Central United States in recent days are expected to intensify, with AccuWeather meteorologists forecasting several more inches of rain across the region through the early part of the week. The heavy rainfall poses a significant flash flood risk, particularly as many people may be outdoors for the Memorial Day holiday.
AccuWeather experts have raised alarms since last week about a potential flash flood emergency in the Ozark Mountains. This threat materialized on Saturday morning, with flash flooding forcing multiple road closures in the Springfield, Missouri, metropolitan area. According to Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill, “Springfield received 2.68 inches of rain on Friday and Saturday. This ranks as the second highest rainfall amount for the two-day period of May 23-24.”
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As of Sunday morning, the heaviest rainfall, ranging from 3.0 to 4.5 inches in some spots, has been concentrated from southern Missouri into eastern Oklahoma. Forecasters predict that by the time the rain begins to taper off Monday night into Tuesday, localized areas could experience staggering rainfall totals approaching a foot.
“Repetitive rounds of rain will continue across the southern Plains and Ozarks through Memorial Day, resulting in additional or worsening flooding,” Merrill stated. He added, “Although northwestern Arkansas and northern Texas has not experienced the heaviest rain thus far, we expect pockets of heavy rain to expand across these areas through Monday.”
The timing of this deluge during a holiday weekend, when outdoor activities like camping and hiking are popular, elevates the danger. “As the ground quickly becomes saturated, runoff will increase exponentially, leading to sudden rises on small streams and surges along area rivers,” warned AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. “A wall of water may blast through narrow valleys, which are popular destinations for campers and summer homes in the Ozark Mountains. Small babbling brooks can become raging torrents of water in a matter of a few minutes.”
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Even in areas that avoid the worst of the flooding, the persistent downpours are likely to disrupt outdoor plans, including cookouts and Memorial Day services. Drivers are also urged to exercise extreme caution due to the increased risk of hydroplaning and significantly reduced visibility on rain-slicked roads.
Looking beyond Memorial Day, AccuWeather experts indicate that a couple more rounds of rain could sweep across the hardest-hit areas later in the week. However, the primary focus for frequent downpours is expected to shift further south, towards the Gulf Coast.
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