Severe storms return to batter Midwest and Plains with damaging winds, hail, and growing flood threats
Storms will be capable of producing widespread damaging winds, large hail, and torrential downpours that heighten flood risks, while an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.
Damaging winds, flooding threaten Midwest and Plains as severe storms return
Severe storms return to batter the Midwest and Plains this week as multiday event takes shape, bringing renewed threats of damaging winds, hail, and isolated tornadoes alongside a persistent risk of flash flooding. Full forecast:
Another round of severe storms and heavy downpours target the Central Plains and Midwest as a multiday event takes shape to start the week, bringing renewed threats of damaging winds, hail, and isolated tornadoes alongside a persistent risk of flash flooding.
This comes not even a week after much of the area was just pummeled by days of destructive storms and catastrophic flooding.
AT LEAST 2 KILLED AS DESTRUCTIVE DERECHO LASHES MILLIONS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND RAIN IN THE MIDWEST
A derecho tore through the Midwest and Ohio Valley last week, leaving widespread destruction and killing two people as thousands were left without power for days.
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Meanwhile, rounds of torrential rain associated with the storms triggered major flash flooding, with situations particularly dire in Indiana as multiple Flash Flood Emergencies unfolded, causing infrastructure damage, evacuations and dozens of water rescues.
The severe storm risk kicks off late Monday afternoon across eastern North Dakota, west-central Minnesota, and the Black Hills.
The initial storms will bring a primary threat of hail, but as the evening progresses, activity will intensify and move southeast into a stronger, more unstable environment across Nebraska and southeast South Dakota.
Here a Level 2 out of 5 severe storm threat has been issued as individual cells will cluster together into organized storm lines, bringing widespread damaging wind gusts.
"A brief tornado cannot be ruled out as low-level winds strengthen into the evening," the FOX Forecast Center said.
By Tuesday, an area of low pressure developing over western Kansas and southwest Nebraska will drag a front south across the I-80 corridor.
Daytime heating ahead of this front will allow high levels of storm energy to build across Nebraska and Iowa.
Particularly near the frontal boundary, initial afternoon storms are expected to take the form of supercells capable of producing very large hail and isolated tornadoes.
Come Tuesday evening, these storms will likely merge into a large storm complex that pushes southeast, bringing a damaging wind threat as far south as northeast Kansas and northern Missouri.
This has prompted a Level 2 out of 5 severe storm threat. However, the FOX Forecast Center will be monitoring for potential upgrades.
Heavy downpours bring renewed flood threats to saturated ground
Alongside the severe risk, a flash flood threat will develop across Iowa, stretching into eastern Nebraska, northern Missouri, and northwest Illinois, with a Level 2 out of 4 flood threat in place across this region.
FLOOD THREAT RETURNS TO MILLIONS ACROSS OHIO VALLEY, APPALACHIANS AS SEVERE STORMS SWEEP EAST
Heavy rain led to severe flooding and power outages across Ohio last week. (Muskingum County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
While the system's forward movement will eventually push the heaviest rain southeast, tropical-like moisture levels and high storm energy will support intense rain rates over 2 inches per hour.
After Tuesday, storms will linger into Wednesday and Thursday, but likely shift more into the Ohio Valley, targeting areas still struggling from this past week's life-threatening flooding.