Mississippi, Ohio valleys take warning: High flooding risk this week

As weather kicks into gear this week, there will also be the chance for heavy rainfall across parts of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. The region is positioned right in the bullseye where lots of moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico will start to arrive on Monday. A storm will arrive Tuesday, with more rounds of heavy rain through the middle of the week. Some isolated areas could see as much as 8 inches of rain.

As the high-pressure system, the same one that brought a beautiful weekend over the Southeast moves east over the Atlantic, it has continued to bring plenty of tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico from Texas through much of the South.

Showers have been affecting eastern Texas through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Southern Georgia will be under a layer of showers and isolated showers will spread into northern Georgia on Monday afternoon.

The moisture will slowly travel northward and affect Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, southern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. The issue will be that these downpours will be consistent through late Tuesday night, with a brief break on Wednesday morning. Then another winter storm arrives on Wednesday evening. This next system will be positioned similarly to the one passing over during the beginning of the week. This setup makes it especially dangerous as the ground will be already well saturated and any rain that falls will increase the chance for more flooding and severe flooding through the end of the week.

Overall, through Saturday morning the highest rainfall will affect Tennessee and Kentucky with up to 5 inches in total. Western Kentucky and southern Illinois could get higher amounts up to 8 inches. Northern Arkansas could receive between 3 to 5 inches and a similar range for portions of northern Alabama and Mississippi. Rain amounts will gradually decrease from the central portions of the Deep South toward the coast.

Western Virginia residents cannot let their guard down. The highest rainfall is expected to affect the western half of the state, with between 2 to 4 inches of rain.

Make sure to plan carefully and avoid flooded roads. Today is the time to prepare, especially if you live in flood-prone areas.