By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist
Mar 21, 2012; 5:56 PM ET
In addition to the ongoing flash flood threat tonight, there is the risk of locally damaging thunderstorms, including a few tornadoes in part of the South.While a training effect of heavy rain continues to funnel in from the Gulf of Mexico to the central Plains, the risk of locally severe thunderstorms continues on the front edge of the rainfall conveyor belt.
The storms in this zone of the weather system have had a history of producing locally damaging, straight-line wind gusts and also a few quick spin-up tornadoes.
At least six tornadoes have been confirmed in Louisiana. An EF1 tornado touched down in Gueydan and another passed through Lake Arthur, damaging homes and knocking down trees and power lines.
The storms were pushing eastward across central and eastern Mississippi and into western Alabama. The northern fringe of the storms may also brush portions of south-central Tennessee. Very late tonight it is possible locally severe storms reach part of the Florida Panhandle.
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Farther west, in portions of north-central Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, underneath a pocket of cold air aloft, a few gusty thunderstorms with hail are possible. Several funnel clouds have already been spotted in Oklahoma.
Farther east, from the central Appalachians to the Carolina coast, a moist flow from the Atlantic is colliding with building warmth. A few storms in this zone can briefly become severe this evening with frequent lightning strikes, hail, strong winds and blinding downpours.
In both the eastern and southern Plains states the storms will weaken later tonight.
However, the storms over the lower Mississippi Valley will continue to be locally severe with incidents of flash flooding through the night.
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