The National Weather Service had seven active flash flood warnings in effect Friday morning, down from 14 a day earlier, as the multi-state flooding event that dominated Thursday shows signs of easing even while shifting to new ground in Kansas and Texas.
The warnings span five states: Alaska, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and West Virginia. Missouri remains in the mix, with warnings covering Cooper and Saline counties, but the sharp drop from Thursday’s 14-alert peak suggests the worst of the rainfall that soaked the state has passed through. Iowa, which joined the warning list Thursday alongside Alaska, is no longer represented in Friday’s tally.
In its place, Kansas and Texas have emerged as fresh trouble spots. The National Weather Service issued a warning for Chase County in east central Kansas, in effect until 9:15 a.m. CDT Friday, after Doppler radar detected heavy rain over the county with more expected. The agency said flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying, flood-prone areas was imminent or already occurring there. Texas saw a warning affecting McMullen County in the state’s south.
West Virginia, meanwhile, is moving in the opposite direction on two fronts. A warning for Jackson County in the northwestern part of the state was extended, covering small stream flooding until 9 a.m. EDT, with the National Weather Service warning of “many areas of slow moving or standing water” that could take several hours to clear. But a separate advisory for the county reported that floodwaters have receded and flooding no longer poses a threat — though officials cautioned residents to continue heeding remaining road closures.
Alaska’s Western Susitna Valley remains under its own warning, keeping the state on the flood map for a second straight day.
The National Weather Service is renewing its standard flood safety guidance as the warnings persist: turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roadways, since most flood deaths occur in vehicles. The agency also urged extra caution overnight, when high water is harder to spot in the dark.
With warnings still active in Kansas and Missouri through Friday morning and West Virginia’s Jackson County warning not lifting until 9 a.m. EDT, forecasters will be watching whether the overall pullback from Thursday’s 14 alerts holds through the weekend or whether additional heavy rain cells rebuild the count, as happened earlier this week.