Heavy rain with possible flash flooding threatens previously flooded parts of the West and the East. Severe weather on multiple fronts: Midwest, Ohio Valley, and mid-South. Two dead in California fire. See today’s weather news and alerts.
Deadly floods: Death toll rises in Kentucky floods and more heavy rain, severe weather forecast for Monday
The death toll due to flooding in eastern Kentucky rose to 30 on Monday morning. Kentucky governor Andy Beshear delivered the grim update at a news conference in Frankfort, CNN reported. The governor said he believes recovery crews are “going to be finding bodies for weeks, many of them swept hundreds of yards, maybe a quarter-mile plus from where they were last.” Many of the latest victims were children.
On Monday, a flood watch is in effect across parts of eastern Kentucky.
“Showers and thunderstorms containing rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches an hour, at times, will result in the potential for flash flooding through noon,” the National Weather Service in Jackson said. “Areas that see repeated incidents of showers and thunderstorms will be the most susceptible to flash flooding.”
Flood alerts for Monday
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued the following flood alerts for Monday:
Flash flood warning: eastern Kentucky.
Flood warning: eastern Kentucky.
Flood watch: eastern Kentucky; southeastern California; northeastern, central, and southwestern Nevada; northern, central, and southeastern New Mexico.
Heavy rain with the potential for flash flooding: northeastern, eastern, central, and southwestern Nevada; southeastern California; central and eastern Tennessee; central and eastern Kentucky; northern Georgia; southwestern North Carolina; southwestern Virginia; western and central West Virginia; southern Ohio; southeastern Indiana.
Severe weather on 2 fronts: Midwest, Ohio Valley and mid-South
The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 2 severe weather alert on two separate fronts for Monday. The first is over northern and northeastern Nebraska. The second is over central, northern, and northeastern Kentucky; central and southern Indiana; and central and southwestern Ohio.
The main threat will be heavy rain and damaging winds. The storm will bring two rounds, one during the evening and another during the overnight hours, the Weather Channel reported.
Two dead in California wildfire
At least two people have died as a result of the McKinney Fire in the Klamath National Forest near the California-Oregon border. The wildfire had been the state’s largest blaze this year; over 52,000 acres have already burned since Friday. Nearly 2,000 residents were evacuated on Saturday, authorities said, CNN reported. The two victims were found dead inside a vehicle in a residential driveway, the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.
Heavy rain raises Lake Mead by 3 inches
Finally some good news at Lake Mead, where the water level has been receiving at a historic rate, including a drop of seven feet during May. The Las Vegas area has experienced monsoon rains in its last five days, and the heavy rainfall has helped Lake Mead to rise by three inches. The lake supplies 90 percent of Southern Nevada’s water, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Heat alerts: July heat records shattered in the Southwest
Austin and San Antonio have both shattered their all-time heat records for July.
The city of Austin experienced its hottest July in history, reaching an average of 90.6 degrees topping a record set in 2011 of 89.7 degrees. The normal average is 85.8, KVUE reported.
San Antonio also recorded its hottest July with an average temperature of 90.0 degrees, which ties the all-time record for the hottest month in its history set in August of 2011. All but two days in July were 100 degrees or higher, KSAT reported.
Heat alerts for Monday:
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued the following heat alerts for Monday:
Excessive heat warning: central and eastern Washington; eastern Oregon; northern, western, and southwestern Idaho.
Heat advisory for portions of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois.
