March 11, 2016

Very heavy rainfall developed in some Southern States during the afternoon of March 9. By the morning of March 10, some areas had received More than 20 inches (53 centimeters) of rain. Credit: NWS/NOAA

Heavy storms in the South and West of the United States have led to massive flooding. Areas of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas have all experienced flash floods that began March 9. As of March 10th, parts of Arkansas had received as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain, parts of Texas got as much as 12 inches (30 centimeters), the high rain total in Arkansas was 13.5 inches (34.3 centimeters), and some parts of Louisiana were drenched with 20.97 inches (53.2 centimeters) of rain. By March 11, thousands of homes have been evacuated and five people have been killed in the flooding. Hundreds of people in Louisiana had to be rescued from floodwaters by boat and helicopter.

This situation is expected to worsen as heavy rains are predicted for these states through Saturday, March 12. On the Sabine River, which borders Texas and Louisiana, flooding is expected to reach levels not seen since 1884. Dozens of roads and interstate highways have heel closed due to flooding.

These storms come on top of severe weather in the South just a few weeks earlier. On February 18, around 20 tornadoes touched down in the Southern States. A few days later, over February 23-24, more serious storms brought more than 60 tornadoes over the two days. Unusually warm spring temperatures, which can be attributed at least in part to an El Nino, have likely fed these spring storms.

February 24, 2016

c ShutterStock

Severe storms and tornadoes hit areas of the Southern States yesterday, killing three people and injuring many others. The governors of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi all declared state emergencies. In addition to high winds, at least seven tornadoes struck Louisiana and Mississippi yesterday. Two of the three deaths were at a recreational-vehicle (RV) park in Louisiana. The third death was in a mobile-home park in Mississippi. A total of 18 tornadoes were reported across the South on February 23.

This weather system began as a line of thunderstorms that moved across Texas on Monday evening, February 22, bringing hail and high winds. Thousands in Texas were left without electric power as winds knocked down power lines. Heavy rains caused flooding in Alabama, Arkansas, and Georgia.

By Wednesday, February 24, the low pressure system that created these storms had shifted north, bringing heavy snows in parts of the Midwest. In the Great Lakes region, residents prepared for potential blizzard conditions. Heavy rains occurred in the northeastern United States, where it was too warm for snow.