Plains Facing Widespread Severe Storms, Flooding

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

Mar 18, 2012; 1:02 PM ET

AccuWeather.com Facebook fan Myron B. captured this lightning strike in Lebanon, Tenn., on Saturday.

The central and southern Plains are not only facing violent thunderstorms and tornadoes late today into Tuesday, but also significant flooding.
Communities may be left damaged and under water from this outbreak that threatens to bring the "whole nine yards of danger," warned AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
In addition to tornadoes and flash flooding, the strongest thunderstorms will be capable of unleashing large hail, damaging wind gusts and frequent lightning.
The outbreak will also prove to be a lengthy one. After thunderstorms ignite over parts of the High Plains late today, the adverse weather will take until Wednesday to reach the lower Mississippi River.
Places from west-central Kansas to the eastern half of the Texas Panhandle will first become the target of spotty, yet powerful thunderstorms late this afternoon.
More numerous thunderstorms will follow tonight as the threat zone expands to include more of west-central Texas, western Oklahoma, central Kansas and south-central Nebraska.

On Monday, the severe weather will shift and threaten areas from western Iowa to central Texas. Many of the same areas will continue to be targeted Monday night as the thunderstorms barely make any eastward progress.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists are especially concerned that significant flooding will unfold Monday night where drenching thunderstorms repeatedly pass over the same locations.
Current indications point to this train of thunderstorms developing from San Antonio to Dallas and Tyler, Texas, to Springfield, Mo., with the potential to unload more than 3 inches of rain.
While beneficial in terms of drought relief, that amount of rain in less than 12 hours is sure to turn creeks and streams into raging rivers and severely inundate low-lying and poor drainage areas.
It is highly likely that officials will be forced to evacuate some communities.

While the threat will be greatest in the area shown above, a couple of strong thunderstorms will also ignite Monday afternoon northward to western Iowa.
The torrential rain and thunderstorms will then crawl eastward on Tuesday, impacting the corridor from eastern Kansas and western Missouri to Houston and other communities near the Texas/Louisiana border.
Flooding downpours remain a serious concern with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes threatening to erupt near the coast and along the heavy rain's eastern fringe.
A break from the adverse weather across the Plains will finally come on Wednesday as the flooding rain and severe weather threat encompasses the lower Mississippi Valley.
However, places in and around Springfield, Mo., may have to wait an extra day as the northern fringe of the heaviest rain arcs back to the northwest.

Plains Facing Widespread Severe Storms, Flooding