What began as a five-state flood watch over the weekend has escalated into flash flooding on the ground. The National Weather Service has issued 31 active Flash Flood Warnings across 14 states — Alaska, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia — as slow-moving storms wring out rainfall faster than the ground can absorb it.
The warnings mark a shift from precaution to active danger. Unlike a watch, a Flash Flood Warning means flooding is imminent or already underway. In northeastern Illinois, the Weather Service warned that flooding from excessive rainfall was continuing across southeastern Cook County and central Will County, with the warning in effect until 11 a.m. CDT Sunday. The agency said creeks and streams may rise out of their banks, with flooding possible in poor-drainage and urban areas and standing water on roads.
The heaviest concentration of warnings stretches across the central Appalachians, where dozens of counties in West Virginia and Virginia are under flash flood warnings simultaneously — from Allegany and Garrett in western Maryland’s warning zone through Hampshire, Hardy, Grant, Mineral and Pendleton, south through Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah and the Blue Ridge counties, and further into Kanawha, Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, Webster, Pocahontas and Randolph. In north-central North Carolina and southwest Virginia, the Weather Service warned that flooding of rivers, creeks and other flood-prone locations was imminent or occurring in Stokes and Surry counties and in Patrick, Carroll and Floyd counties, with that warning running until 2 p.m. EDT Sunday.
The Weather Service’s standing guidance applies broadly to the warned areas: turn around, don’t drown. Officials are urging drivers not to cross flooded roads, noting that water depth is difficult to judge and roadbeds can wash out beneath the surface. The agency is also collecting public flood reports, including mudslides and flooded roads, through its toll-free reporting line.
With storms continuing to train over already-saturated ground from the Midwest into the Appalachians, additional warnings are likely to be issued through the day as new cells develop. Residents in and around Chicago weather and Washington weather — both within the current warning footprint — should monitor local alerts as the system moves east.