US: Heavy rain, flooding likely for Plains, Midwest Oct. 3-11

Event

Continuous heavy rain is expected to saturate a large area of the Plains and Midwest portions of the US from Wednesday, October 3 to Thursday, October 11, raising the possibility for flooding. Rainfall of 10-38 cm (4-15 in) is expected in a diagonal band from the Texas panhandle to southern Wisconsin, with the heaviest rain falling in south-central Kansas and Oklahoma. Rivers in eastern Kansas, northern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin are particularly vulnerable to flooding given currently high flood stages. Areas affected include Texas, Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, Tulsa), Kansas (Wichita, Topeka), Missouri (Kansas City), Nebraska (Omaha, Lincoln), Iowa (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque), Illinois (Rockford), and Wisconsin (Madison, Milwaukee).

Context

The northern Midwest, particularly north and eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin, have experienced heavy rain throughout the summer, leading to frequent flooding.

Advice

Individuals in the affected areas are advised to monitor local weather reports, anticipate flooding and transportation disruptions in low-lying areas, and remember that walking or driving through running water can be dangerous - 15 cm (6 in) of running water is enough to knock over an adult - and floodwaters can contain wastewater and chemical products; all items having come into contact with floodwater should be disinfected and all foodstuffs discarded.