11 states put on major storm warning with millions at risk of flash flooding and tornadoes TODAY
- READ MORE: Climate change is NOT the main cause of floods, scientists say
A massive storm is set to bring life-threatening tornadoes and potentially historic flooding to several states throughout the US starting today.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) warn that 11 states in the South and Midwest are already under a flood warning Tuesday.
This includes Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, and portions of West Virginia, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Severe thunderstorms are expected to barrel through the central US starting Tuesday afternoon, bringing hail, wind gusts up to 70 mph, and a chance for tornadoes in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and northern Texas.
The worst of the storm system is set to hit on Wednesday, with the danger for deadly twisters and flooding reaching 'extreme levels' throughout the Midwest.
Forecasters predict that there could be up to 18 inches of rainfall in parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky between Wednesday and Saturday.
AccuWeather senior storm warning meteorologist William Clark warned that this week-long storm could bring four to five months' worth of rain to a 1,000-mile-long swath of the country in just four days.
'Should the amount of rain occur that we anticipate over the middle of the nation, it would exceed the 500 to 1,000-year average,' Clark said. 'Truly, the potential is there for a historic flash flooding event.'
Portions of the South and Midwestern US could see between 8 and 18 inches of rain this week, delivering historic levels of flash flooding
Meteorologists warn that this week's storm could bring the equivalent of 4 to 5 months of rain to the South and Midwest in just 4 or 5 day (Stock)
Along with extreme levels of flash flooding, meteorologists say there's a high risk of tornadoes developing Wednesday - and the area they could land in is continuing to grow.
AccuWeather now says that their high tornado risk zone includes parts of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and northern Louisiana.
Overall, there will be a chance of flash flooding, hail, and tornadoes developing in 16 states, from Texas to Michigan.
This newest tornado threat comes less than three weeks after a 'mega storm' ripped through this same part of the US in March.
Over 40 people died due to the extreme weather event, which dropped more than 70 tornadoes on communities throughout the South and Midwest.
However, that storm did not come close to delivering the amount of rain and potential for historic flooding meteorologists are warning this new storm could bring.
AccuWeather Severe Weather Expert Guy Pearson said: 'Many components for severe weather, including heat, moisture surge and a strong jet stream, will come together on Wednesday over the middle Mississippi Valley.'
Pearson added that most of the people who were in the path of the megastorm in March should be prepared for a 'significant threat' starting tonight.
There is also a severe threat of tornadoes touching down in several states starting Wednesday (Stock)
Forecasters say several areas face a high likelihood of seeing a tornado develop on Wednesday, including Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky
As the storm moves into the following day, AccuWeather warns that the period from Wednesday into Wednesday night will likely carry the greatest threat of severe weather the US has seen this year.
It's already been a chaotic first three months of 2025, with waves of winter storms, tornadoes, and floods pummeling most of the country.
In February, a 'polar vortex collapse' left a mess across much of the US, bringing feet of snow, landslides, and cancelled flights to millions of Americans.
A 'polar vortex collapse' basically means the big, cold swirl of air that constantly spins tightly around the North Pole begins to wobble or break apart, letting frigid Arctic air spill down into places like the US or Europe.
Meteorologists noted that the jet stream bringing cold air from the north was locked in an almost perfectly straight line over America, moving from west to east that entire month.
This nonstop weather system continued to fuel winter storms, which developed in the Plains and Midwest and swept up into the Northeast and New England.
Things didn't get any better in March, as another polar vortex collapse in the middle of the month had forecasters predicting a late start to spring.
Recent floods in Texas brought rainfall totals that exceeded records that go back over 100 years, killing at least 3 people on March 27
On March 14, the weekend mega storm demolished communities throughout the South, from Oklahoma to Missouri to Mississippi.
Roughly a quarter-million people were left without power in Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Michigan on March 16 alone.
On March 27, at least three people were killed in Texas as floods overwhelmed roadways and forced many drivers to leave their cars behind.
Between six and 12 inches of rain fell in parts of South Texas over a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service.
This week's downpour throughout the country could bring similarly deadly conditions, with the AccuWeather team projecting that intense rainfall will bring flooding risks as far south as Texas and Louisiana and as far north as Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Thunderstorms are expected to still be intense moving into Friday and Saturday, bringing more hail and wind gusts between 60 and 70 mph.
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