Dangerous Weather and Storms in the South

By Sammy Nishihama 

Recently, the southern region of the United States has been getting some pretty aggressive weather, including lots of rain and wind, floods, and even the potential for tornadoes. The three states most affected by this surge have been Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, and flood alerts were issued for almost 15 million people, according to CNN. At the end of last week, the warning started to spread to Texas and Oklahoma, with threats of severe thunderstorms and potential hailstorms. 

Flash flood warnings had even been issued in Mississippi. “Flash flood warnings stretched over nearly 150 miles of Mississippi Friday afternoon as training storms – storms that move over the same area in quick succession – dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain in just a few hours,” says Taylor Ward of CNN. Additionally, the state and surrounding areas dealt with various other weather conditions that had potential to be incredibly damaging. “The stronger storms will potentially be capable of large hail, damaging gusts, and a tornado risk with the more intensely rotating thunderstorms,” said the Storm Prediction Center. Rain has been pouring down in other areas of these states, getting anywhere from 1-2 inches of rain to potentially up to 6 in the coming week. Thankfully, there has been a break in the rain, which will allow current floods to drain before they become more dangerous. The rain and storms are expected to pick back up again towards the end of this week. 

Aside from the weather in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, Texas has been facing lots of rain and storms as well. Rain has been rapid and heavy, with a 77 year record for rainfall at the DFW (Dallas Fort-Worth) Airport being broken. In 1947, the record had been set at 1.12 inches, and was kept until Thursday, March 7th, when a new record was set at 2.67 inches, over two times the original. Rain has been forecasted to calm within the next few days in Texas as the storms move to the east and west edges of the country. 

While these southern states are no stranger to dangerous weather, the past few days have been packed with a variety of conditions that have led to property damage and emergency alerts, but fortunately there have been no reported injuries.