Millions of Americans are experiencing severe weather conditions this week as heavy rainfall, extreme heat and thunderstorms are forecast across the U.S., with life-threatening conditions possible in some states.
“We are highly concerned about the risk of dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding in the zone from southern Illinois and Indiana to central and eastern Kentucky, central and southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski told USA TODAY.
Nearly 85 million Americans from South Dakota to Texas and North Carolina to Florida were already under National Weather Service extreme heat warnings, watches or advisories as of Monday July 21. The heat is expected to intensify Tuesday and later into the week, according to the National Weather Service.
Here’s where extreme weather events are occurring this week:
Severe storms possible
Thunderstorms could bring hail downpours from southern Nebraska to Canada on Monday night, July 21, with wind gusts possibly reaching 85 miles per hour, NWS said.
About 4.6 million Americans across Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota were at risk of severe thunderstorms on Monday, July 21, NWS Storm Prediction Center reported.
Weather watches and warnings map
Extreme heat warnings
More than 60 million Americans from South Dakota to Florida were under heat advisories on Monday, July 21, according to the NWS.
Meanwhile, 17 million Americans were under extreme heat warnings, including parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas, and Tennessee.
As of Monday July 21, the following areas are at risk of moderate, major or extreme heat:
The following cities are among those under extreme heat warnings through Monday, July 21 at 8 p.m. CDT.
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Memphis, Tennessee
The following cities are among those under extreme heat warnings through Wednesday, July 23 at 7 p.m. CDT.
- Topeka, Kansas
- Wichita, Kansas
The following cities are among those under extreme heat warnings through Wednesday July 23 at 7 p.m. CDT.
- Bloomfield, Illinois
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Kansas City, Missouri
Parts of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana will have highs peak at near or above 100 degrees, and a much larger area of the South, Midwest and Great Lakes will see a heat index surpassing 100 degrees, according to Weather.com
Flood watch and warnings
Severe weather threats are present across the Midwest and East, as of Monday, July 21, with Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia all facing the possibility of flash flooding and gusty winds. According to AccuWeather, much of the region was hammered by heavy thunderstorms recently and may not be able to absorb another round.
The following states have flash flood watches for parts of the region: A portion of north central Washington, north central New Mexico, southeast Nebraska, southwest Virginia, north central Kansas, and throughout Kentucky and Minnesota, according to NWS..
CONTRIBUTING John Bacon, USA TODAY
