Monday, April 24, 2017

Severe Thunderstorms and Flooding Possible in the Southeast into Sunday Evening

Brian Donegan
Published: April 23,2017

A slow-moving weather system will bring the risk of a few severe storms and flooding rainfall to the Southeast states into Sunday evening. Damaging wind gusts and hail will be the main threats, though a couple tornadoes cannot be ruled out.
(MORE: Tornado Central)
This same storm system brought severe weather and heavy rain to the South on Saturday.
One tornado was observed Saturday afternoon near Burton and Belmont in northeastern Mississippi, and this radar- and public-confirmed tornado continued into Franklin County, Alabama. Debris fell out of the sky in Franklin County, Alabama, and damage was reported at the Shiloh Baptist Church.
Localized flooding was reported south of Nashville, including in Nolensville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee, as heavy rain moved through the area Saturday morning. By Saturday afternoon, flash flooding was also occurring in Wilson and Williamson counties, Tennessee, and at least one water rescue was necessary.
Just west of Knoxville, Tennessee, near Oakdale, portions of State Highway 328 were shut down Saturday evening, due to flooding and a rockslide that occurred on Highway 62.
Heavy rainfall caused minor flooding in eastern Tennessee, including Knoxville, and several people reported golf ball-size hail.
(MORE: View National Interactive Radar Map | Difference Between a Watch and a Warning)

Current Radar, Watches and Warnings
Below is our latest forecast thinking on the timing and magnitude of the severe threats through Sunday evening.

Severe Weather Forecast

Sunday Evening
  • Forecast: The risk of a few severe thunderstorms will slide east into parts of the Southeast, mainly from South Carolina southward into Georgia and northern Florida.
  • Threats: Damaging wind gusts and large hail will be the primary concerns, although a couple tornadoes cannot be ruled out, particularly after dark.
  • Locally heavy rain is also likely in the Appalachians and adjacent piedmont, with a threat of flash flooding. See below for more information.
  • Cities: Charleston, South Carolina | Savannah, Georgia | Tallahassee, Florida

Sunday Evening's Thunderstorm Forecast
(MAPS: 7-Day U.S. Rain Forecasts)

Heavy Rainfall Expected

As mentioned above, flash flooding is also a concern with this round of severe storms. Flood watches have been issued for eastern parts of Tennessee and Kentucky to portions of southwest Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina where multiple rounds of locally heavy rain could create flooding into early this week.
An expansive swath of at least 3 inches of rain is expected in the southern Appalachians and adjacent piedmont through Monday.
Keep this is in mind if you're traveling. Never drive through floodwaters of unknown depth, as roughly two-thirds of flash flood fatalities occur in vehicles.
For more details on the flooding threat, see our full article on this system at this link.


Forecast Rainfall

Storm Reports So Far

On Friday night, hail as large as baseball size was reported along the Red River, or the border of north Texas and southern Oklahoma, in Gainesville, Texas. A tornado was also sighted with that severe thunderstorm near Valley View.
Hen egg-size hail was reported near Tioga, Texas, on Friday evening.
Clusters of thunderstorms producing hail and heavy rain flared up after midnight Friday morning to the west of Oklahoma City and north of Amarillo, Texas. Quarter size hail was reported in Weatherford, Oklahoma.

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MORE: Severe Weather Outbreak in the South, April 4-5, 2017

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