Disturbances in the Gulf could bring heavy rain into next week. this is the place
USA TODAY’s Brandi D. Addison is tracking the chaotic weather conditions in the Gulf Coast region and warning about potential flooding risks and storm paths in the region.
Forecasters say a series of powerful thunderstorms could bring flash flooding to the Midwest and East Coast as the region battles a potentially record-setting heat dome and lingering toxic wildfire smoke.
The severe weather comes after powerful storms battered large swathes of the country, causing flash floods and killing at least eight people in Texas, Arizona and Utah.
The National Weather Service has announced that severe thunderstorms could cause flash flooding in parts of the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions on July 20 and 21. The storm was developing along a cold front that was moving across the upper Midwest and through the Ohio Valley.
To the south, forecasters predicted the tropical depression would intensify into a tropical storm, bringing heavy rain and winds to the Gulf Coast from Texas to the Florida Panhandle.
Meanwhile, a heatwave has taken hold in the central part of the country, with heatwave warnings in place and people being urged to stay hydrated and limit their time outdoors. Parts of southern Illinois, western Kentucky and southeastern Missouri could reach heat indexes of up to 116 degrees, the weather service warned.
Air pollution alerts remained in effect for much of the Great Lakes and Midwest as smoke from Canada’s wildfires is expected to linger for several more days. Wildfires in the West have caused air quality problems in parts of Oregon and northern Idaho, the National Weather Service said.
East coast and Gulf states face powerful storms
A cold front moving through the north central United States is expected to produce scattered severe thunderstorms across the Midwest before spreading from the Ohio Valley into the mid-Atlantic region, the weather service announced.
Rain showers were expected for parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan on July 20th. The National Weather Service said heavy rain could fall in major cities on the East Coast, including Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, into the middle of the week. Forecasters expect the heaviest rain to fall in eastern Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland.
Meanwhile, a developing storm system in the Gulf Coast could cause flash flooding from west Florida to the Texas coast as it approaches land, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters expect the system to intensify on July 20 and become Tropical Storm Vata, the second named tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
The storm comes after heavy rains caused flash flooding in multiple states, killing at least eight people. On July 17, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that two men, ages 65 and 74, had died as a result of flooding. According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, five members of a family were killed in massive flooding in southern Utah on July 17th. The Pima County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Department says they have recovered the body of a 29-year-old man who was washed away in the Santa Cruz River.
Toxic smoke lingers in Great Lakes region
Many areas of the central United States will be dealing with a potentially record-breaking heat wave and unhealthy air quality levels from the Canadian wildfires.
Wildfire smoke is expected to remain in the Great Lakes region for several days, affecting large swathes of Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, the National Weather Service said. Wildfires in the West have triggered air quality warnings in Oregon and Idaho.
An alert issued in eastern Oregon warned that “smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions.” “People most at risk of adverse health effects include infants, young children, people with heart or lung disease, the elderly, and pregnant women.”
Toxic smoke from the Canadian wildfires produced sepia-tinged smoke that blanketed large swaths of the United States for several days, bringing unhealthy air quality to metropolitan areas including New York City, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia.
Heat wave scorching central US
Federal weather forecasters have issued an emergency warning for people to limit their time outdoors as a heat wave stretches from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes.
Meteorologists expect heat indices to exceed 100 to 110 degrees across large swathes of the country, including states such as South Dakota, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas and Memphis.
A heat warning for Memphis, Tennessee, urges people to “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, avoid sunlight, and check on your relatives and neighbors.” “Use extreme caution when outdoors. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing. Limit strenuous exercise to early morning or late evening. If you are experiencing symptoms of heat stroke or heat stroke, take appropriate measures.”
Heat advisories were also active in several areas outside the central United States, including Nevada, Oregon, North Carolina, and Florida.
Contributors: Doyle Rice and Phaedra Trethan, america today
