Downpours to soak Gulf Coast this week, bringing flash flood threat to drought-ridden South
Low-lying cities like Tampa and New Orleans could see between 2 and 3 inches of rain, with localized totals between 3 and 5 inches possible through Sunday.
Late-summer downpours target the Gulf Coast
Rich moisture across the Gulf will interact with a stalled frontal boundary bringing heavy rain to portions of the Gulf Coast, centering over Florida, which needs the moisture. Storms that repeat over the same areas are likely to cause some flash flooding.
THE TAKEAWAY
- More storms are impacting the Southeast and will last through this weekend.
- Downpours and thunderstorms could cause flash flooding.
- A large section of the Southeast will be under a Level 1 out of 4 threat by Friday.
The Southeast is set to receive some prolonged late-summer downpours and thunderstorms through the end of the workweek.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, a weak front is stalled over the Southeast, and will continue to center showers and thunderstorms over the region, mostly Florida, for the next few days.
A resident walks with an umbrella during a rain storm in Miami, Florida, US, on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Moisture levels along the front will stay high as winds moving off the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of America raise the chance for heavy rain and isolated flash floods through late week, with the heaviest rain expected into the weekend.
By Friday, a large section of the Southeast, including all of Alabama, Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas, will be under a Level 1 out of 4 threat, with parts of Virginia, Louisiana and Tennessee in the zone as well.
NEVER-ENDING HEAT DOME TARGETS PLAINS AS NEARLY 45 MILLION AMERICANS FACE HEAT ADVISORIES
This comes as high pressure sits across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Its clockwise flow will continue pumping abundant Atlantic moisture westward. Combined with daytime heating, storms with high rainfall rates could develop and produce isolated flash flooding, the FOX Forecast Center said.
The trend continues on Saturday, with the flash flood threat over a slightly smaller area of the Southeast. Cities including Raleigh, North Carolina, New Orleans, Atlanta and Tampa, Florida, will be in the 1 out of 4 threat.
HOW HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE DRIVE THE WEATHER
Through the end of the weekend, the highest rain totals will likely be across the Gulf Coast and southern and Central Florida.
Low-lying cities like Tampa and New Orleans could see between 2 and 3 inches of rain, with localized totals between 3 and 5 inches possible through Sunday.
Elsewhere, 1 to 2 inches of rain is possible through Sunday, the FOX Forecast Center said.
For many places, rain is beneficial, especially in Florida.
About 66% of the Sunshine State remains under some level of drought, which is a significant improvement from the spring, when 100% of the state saw some type of drought.