People in four states are being warned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that an oncoming atmospheric river that is predicted to strike the area on Wednesday could have “catastrophic” flood repercussions.
The NOAA agency describes atmospheric rivers as a “long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics.”
Storms caused by atmospheric rivers are characterized by high winds, heavy rain, and snowfall. The West Coast is more frequently impacted, especially in the winter.
AccuWeather warned earlier this week that an atmospheric river might surpass the region’s 500- to 1,000-year rainfall normal, targeting the Midwest and portions of the South.
Over the course of five days this week, some regions are anticipating up to 18 inches of rain, which is equivalent to four months’ worth of precipitation.
The approaching storm occurs once every 1,000 years. Floods like this have a 0.1 percent probability of occurring in any given year, according to an AccuWeather spokeswoman.
According to NOAA’s experimental flood hazard outlook, four states—Illnesses, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee—are expected to have “catastrophic” flood consequences.
Dundee, Kentucky; Calhoun, Kentucky; Paradise, Kentucky; Martin, Tennessee; Golconda, Illinois; Shawneetown, Illinois; and Evansville, Indiana are among the cities in these states most vulnerable to the effects of flooding.
“There could be very significant impacts in the areas surrounding that as well,” National Water Center service coordination hydrologist Jason Elliott stated.
Cities Anticipate ‘Catastrophic’ Flood Effects
Cities near large rivers are especially vulnerable.
NOAA has classified Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio as having “considerable” flood risk.
As the influx of moisture saturates local rivers, creeks, and streams, flooding could rapidly turn hazardous and even fatal. According to AccuWeather, the Ohio, Wabash, White, St. Francis, Kentucky, and Tennessee rivers are among the major rivers that are anticipated to suffer notable increases in water level.
The affected areas may experience flash flooding quickly as a result of rainfall rates that occasionally surpass several inches per hour.
Other weather hazards are anticipated in addition to the effects of flooding and severe rain.
A tornado outbreak is likely to occur from southwest of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, northeast through southern Illinois, and western Kentucky, according to a warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) on Wednesday.
Memphis, Tennessee, and Jonesboro, Arkansas, are among the cities in the high-risk area.
NWS advised that evacuations might be necessary due to several flood warnings that were issued around the region.
According to Elliott, major flooding in western Kentucky and Tennessee could start as early as Wednesday night and last until early Thursday morning.
The most affected areas will move to Arkansas, Missouri, southern Indiana, and southern Illinois by Friday. By Saturday, they will return to western Tennessee and western Kentucky.
Until early next week, rivers may continue to be flooded.
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