The National Weather Service said Monday that portions of the Great Plains and Midwest are at risk for severe weather this week including heavy thunderstorms, high winds, hail and the possibility of tornado activity. The NWS also issued a flash flood warning for Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA as heavy rainfall was expected to cause widespread flooding there. Flooding has already caused many problems in that part of the country as numerous roads were completely flooded, causing drivers to become trapped in 18 to 30 inches of water in some areas.
Very heavy rainfall Sunday afternoon flooded streets and freeways in inland portions of Southern California, leaving dozens of vehicles stuck in deep water. Rescue personnel responded to over 40 flood-related calls about stranded vehicles during Monday’s morning commute in the Palm Springs area.
Monday was the rainiest single day in the history of Phoenix, Arizona as flash floods there claimed the lives of two people who became trapped while trying to escape from their flooded vehicles. Several Phoenix-area freeways turned into small lakes and raging rivers Sunday as rescuers scrambled to get drivers out of flooded cars. By Monday night, flooding was threatening up to 100 homes in the suburban Mesa, AZ area after retention basins reached or exceeded capacity, allowing water to freely rush into several neighborhoods. Jan Brewer, governor of Arizona told non-essential state workers to say home Monday and declared a state-wide flood emergency.
Heavy rainfall also came down in Nevada where nearly 200 people from an Indian reservation northeast of Las Vegas were evacuated Monday. Rushing water covered Interstate 15 with mud and debris. That highway is the main route from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. There were dozens of motorists and big rig truck drivers stranded on I-15 as large stretches of the highway pavement were completely washed away.
As people in the Southwest are dealing with flash floods, those living further northeast were being told that severe thunderstorms could impact them this week. Severe weather will develop across the Midwest Tuesday and continue into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes Wednesday. The thunderstorms that will develop in those areas could bring with them damaging winds in excess of 55 miles per hour, heavy drenching rain, hail and even the possibility of tornadoes. Those severe storms will then continue on into the Northeast Thursday.
The remnants of Hurricane Norbert is what is causing all this severe weather in the United States. The tropical moisture from that storm moved into the Southwest, triggering the heavy rainfall. The warm, moist air has been pushing itself northward, making conditions just right for thunderstorms which are packing heavy rain, high winds and hail.
