Flash Flood Warnings were in effect Monday morning across 12 locations in seven states, with the most intense rainfall rates concentrated in north central Texas and a broad stretch of the southern Appalachians spanning Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
In Tarrant County, Texas, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth issued a Flash Flood Warning until 8:45 a.m. CDT after Doppler radar and automated rain gauges showed 1 to 3 inches of rain had already fallen, with an additional 1 to 2 inches possible. The warning covers the Fort Worth metro area, where Fort Worth weather forecasts are available for residents tracking the storm’s path.
The heaviest rainfall rates were reported over the Virginia-Tennessee-North Carolina border region, where the National Weather Service in Blacksburg warned of up to 3 inches of rain since 3 a.m. in southwestern Surry and northeastern Wilkes counties in North Carolina, with the warning extending until 10:45 a.m. EDT. A separate warning in the region reported 2 to 5 inches of rain already on the ground, with rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour and up to 2 more inches possible — a combination the National Weather Service said meant flash flooding was ongoing or imminent.
The Appalachian flooding threat stretches across dozens of counties, from Smyth, Bland, Giles, Wythe, Pulaski and Montgomery in southwestern Virginia through Roanoke, Franklin, Bedford, Henry and Pittsylvania counties, and into east Tennessee counties including Knox, Sevier, Blount, Sullivan, Washington and Hamilton. Illinois counties along the Illinois River valley — Brown, Cass, Morgan, Schuyler, Fulton and Mason — are also under warning, along with additional alerts in Iowa, Missouri and South Carolina.
The National Weather Service said most flood deaths occur in vehicles and urged drivers to turn around rather than cross flooded roads, noting the danger is harder to judge at night. The agency is asking residents in warned areas to report flooding, including washed-out roads and mudslides, to local offices.
With warm, moisture-laden air in place across both the southern Plains and the Appalachians, forecasters cautioned that additional rounds of heavy rain could prompt new warnings through the day in areas already saturated from Monday’s storms. Residents in and around Knoxville weather and other Appalachian communities should monitor local alerts as ground already holds significant rainfall totals.