Flooding Risk Builds Across Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic | WeatherBug
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Flooding Risk Builds Across Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic

August 14, 2017
By WeatherBug Sr. Meteorologist, James West
Summer downpours and thunderstorms will bring some flooding trouble today, especially from the Mid-South to the Mid-Atlantic.

Waves of thunderstorms and downpours already hitting the Tennessee and Ohio valleys will spread into the central Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic today and early Friday, bringing several inches of rainfall. The strongest storms will produce gusty winds and frequent lightning.

This rainfall, along with the already soggy ground from recent thunderstorms, will increase the risk of flash flooding, especially across the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, central Appalachians and the upper Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware Valley. Flash Flood Watches are posted in all of these areas. This includes places like Nashville, Tenn., Cincinnati, Louisville, Ky., Charleston, W.Va., Baltimore, Wilmington, Del., and Philadelphia.  Remember, if you approach a flooded road, it is best to, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

The sudden turn in the weather from hot and muggy to soggy and stormy is the result of a subtle but significant shift in the weather pattern across the eastern U.S. A large area of high pressure that produced last week’s heat wave for the Plains and East has finally weakened and retreated eastward, allowing several pieces of upper-level energy to zip across the Plains and into the Ohio Valley.

This energy, as well as plenty of low-level humidity and a weak frontal system, will move eastward, bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms to the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys this morning and to the central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic this afternoon and evening.

If you haven’t already, make sure you download the WeatherBug app, which includes the Spark lightning detection app. Spark uses GPS to locate the nearest lightning, so you can Know Before the storm hits and find safety as quickly as possible.