Relief From Drought Coming at a Cost in the South

An atmospheric river has been responsible for repeated rounds of rain across the southern U.S. in recent days. The soaking rainfall is going to continue through the week, raising the risk of more flash flooding events.

Wet Week Will Linger Into the Weekend in the South

It has been a wet stretch of days for a large portion of the Gulf Coast, the southern Plains, and the Southeast. This trend is going to persist into the weekend as the potent plume of moisture remains entrenched over the weekend. While a surge of dry air will put a lid on the rain and thunderstorms in North Carolina, Virginia, and the Ohio Valley later in the week, the wet pattern is forecast to persist in areas to the south.

The steady rain has produced several flash flooding events since the weekend. A woman drowned on Monday when her vehicle was swept away by the rushing waters in Petal, Mississippi. Another flash flooding incident was reported on Tuesday in Henderson County, North Carolina. This is the same part of the Southeast that is still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene nearly two years ago.

The heaviest rain over the last few days has hit a zone from the central Gulf Coast to the Appalachians. This stream of moisture fired up on Sunday and ravaged the area through early Wednesday. Destin, Florida, notched a whopping 6.19 inches of rain during this time period. New Orleans recorded 4.13 inches of rain, while Florala, Alabama, saw 4.20 inches of moisture. Heading up into the Carolinas, Greenwood, South Carolina, hit 5.51 inches on the rain gauge, and Asheville, North Carolina, reported 4.54 inches.

Although the weather pattern rained out many outdoor Memorial Day plans, the moisture is making a dent in the drought-stricken south-central and southeastern U.S. Several areas in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are under the designation of exceptional drought as defined by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

A stalled front setting up in a zone from the southern Plains to the southern portion of the Atlantic coastline will result in pockets of heavy rain and locally severe thunderstorms to remain a threat through the rest of the week. A few inches of rain over a short period are possible at times. This will naturally raise the risk of flash flooding along small streams and in urban areas.