Severe storms, flash flooding and extreme heat are battering parts of the Plains, Midwest and the South this weekend, threatening to disrupt World Cup fans, athletes and holiday travelers alike.
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Flood watches remain in effect across the South, including in eastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, as remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur sweep through the region.
Preliminary rainfall totals in Louisiana on Friday may have set a new state record. The existing record stands at 22 inches of precipitation in 24 hours; an estimated 29 inches fell in Cottonport during that same window on Friday, with preliminary measurements of 22 inches recorded in Plaucheville and 17 inches in Simmesport near the Atchafalaya River.
Additional heavy rain this weekend in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi — already waterlogged from Thursday and Friday’s storms — could trigger further flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service. The agency cautioned that “the very moist airmass in place and saturated soils from the last week mean that locally significant flash flooding is a possibility if a storm sits over one place for too long.”
The Plains and parts of the Midwest face storm threats as well, with potentially dire consequences for Saturday evening’s World Cup match between Ecuador and Curaçao in Kansas City. Flood watches are in effect in Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois and Indiana, where thunderstorms could produce dangerous flash flooding.
Much of Nebraska, Kansas and easternmost Colorado may see thunderstorms Saturday with the potential for tornadoes, large hail and wind gusts up to 75 mph.
By Sunday morning, the National Weather Service said, the storms will push east through the Midwest, “dragging the threat of flash flooding eastward as additional storms develop along the slow-moving warm front.”
Meanwhile, other parts of the South are baking under extreme heat and humidity. Heat advisories are in effect in southeastern Texas, where heat index values — a measure of what conditions feel like when humidity and air temperatures are combined — could reach as high as 108 degrees Fahrenheit.
World Cup athletes and fans in Houston may face those sweltering conditions during Saturday evening’s match between the Netherlands and Sweden.
The National Weather Service urged residents to “stay hydrated and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing,” and to “limit strenuous outdoor activities, especially during the afternoon.” Heat advisories also cover Louisiana, southern Alabama and South Florida.
The weekend’s patchwork of severe weather could cause headaches for holiday travelers. The Transportation Security Administration projects heavy travel volumes on both days flanking the long weekend, with more than 3 million passengers expected to pass through TSA checkpoints on Sunday alone.
