FL To Face Flood Risks Amid Heavy Downpour And Winds

FLORIDA — Florida rivers are predicted to be at risk for floods next week after heavy rainfall pours into the Southeast, including the Sunshine State, AccuWeather forecasters say.

Furthermore, the National Weather Service predicted that Floridians could be battling temperatures in the mid- to low 90s and heavy, wind-producing showers and thunderstorms daily through the weekend.

The forecast does not show a break in the storms between days, with Wednesday having the highest chance for downpour at 70 percent. Wednesday is also expected to be breezy.

According to AccuWeather, Florida is not the single southern state to face upcoming flood risks.

The risks stretch from northeastern Texas to northern Florida to southern Georgia along the Interstate 10 and 20 corridors, AccuWeather said.

Mother's Day storms on Sunday released 1-5 inches of rain in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi - heading east along the corridors and arriving Monday into the southeast.

"That runoff is slowly moving from small streams into secondary rivers. The rain from Sunday to Monday would not lead to too many flooding issues. However, more rain is coming, with another round erupting and shifting eastward along the I-10 corridor of Gulf Coast states into Tuesday. This new burst of rain has the potential to match or exceed rainfall locally from Sunday to early Monday," AccuWeather reported.

The brunt of the rain could be felt Monday evening from near Houston, Texas, to Lake Charles, Louisiana - then from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mobile, Alabama, Biloxi, Mississippi, and Pensacola, Florida on Monday night, AccuWeather said.

Flash flood and heavy rain potential could arrive Tuesday morning from Tallahassee to Jacksonville, Florida, AccuWeather said.

"Motorists should be prepared for rapidly rising waters on streets and highways and to seek an alternate route, if necessary," AccuWeather said.

The rainfall from Mother's Day to Tuesday could drop 6-8 inches from parts of Texas to the Florida Panhandle and parts of Alabama, AccuWeather said.

After this, there could be a pause in the downpour; however, rivers from northeast Texas to south Georgia and parts of South Carolina may keep elevating, AccuWeather said.

As storms continue, AccuWeather said areas where the rainfall overlaps will be the most at-risk for floods. This could include areas north of I-10 but cannot exclude areas south of I-20.

Part of the I-10 and I-20 corridors could be threatened by heavy rain on saturated ground and a continuous flow of swollen streams and rivers, AccuWeather said.

"This may be a situation where some rivers level off or fall a bit then rise again, perhaps to new heights as runoff more efficiently reaches the larger waterways," AccuWeather said.

The National Weather Service predicted the following detailed forecast around 3:45 p.m. Monday for Tampa Bay:

This Afternoon: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 99. Southwest wind around 13 mph.

Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. South wind 6-8 mph.

Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 101. South southwest wind 8-14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 78. South southwest wind 9-11 mph.

Wednesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 10-16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. West southwest wind 10-14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind 8-13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. West wind 5-11 mph becoming south after midnight.

Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. South southeast wind 6-14 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.

Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 78.

Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Breezy.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.