AccuWeather Global Weather Center – May 24, 2022 – Over 61 million people in the central and southern United States will be at risk from a slow-moving storm capable of producing flooding and severe weather this week.
With days of rain expected and following a recent dry spell in the region, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that incidents of flooding could be widespread. Some locations from eastern Texas into Arkansas and farther north in eastern Kansas into Missouri could receive rainfall amounts ranging from 4-8 inches over a three-day period.
In spots with the heaviest rainfall, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches is forecast. This includes cities such as Austin, Texas, and Wichita, Kansas, to Springfield and Kansas City, Missouri.
A recent spell of heat and persistent dry weather across the south-central U.S. has worsened the drought in the area. Cities in Texas from Dallas to Houston and San Antonio have received less than 2 inches of rain this month through May 23, which is well below normal. The monthly average for Dallas is 4.78 inches, while it’s 5.01 inches in Houston. In San Antonio, the monthly average is 4.40 inches. Through May 23, those three cities have received just 1.67 inches, 2.83 inches and 0.37 of an inch, respectively.
As the storm system crawls farther east through Tuesday night, the threat of severe weather will expand into eastern portions of the Lone Star State and include cities such as Abilene, Dallas, San Antonio, Brownsville and Houston.
There is the threat of large clusters of severe thunderstorms that could congeal into one or more long-lived lines of violent weather in parts of Texas with high winds and flooding downpours Tuesday night. The storms could sweep from west-central and north-central Texas to the Gulf Coast in a matter of hours from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
“The storms could be moving at 50-60 mph so by the time people hear the thunder, the storms may be moving through their location in a matter of minutes with damaging wind gusts,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Randy Adkins said. “There may not be much time to move pets indoors or seek shelter in the middle of the night.”
