Truckers to face soaking southern rains next several days

Localized flooding possible from Texas to Tennessee

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Parts of the South will get soaked with heavy rainfall as a frontal system stalls across the region over the next several days.

Wet weather will begin Thursday afternoon from eastern Texas to Arkansas, spreading into the Tennessee Valley Friday. Over the weekend, rain will stretch to the mid-Atlantic.

Most places won’t see nonstop rain all day each day. It will come in waves. However, the rainfall will be heavy at times and may be accompanied by thunderstorms in some areas.

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Places from eastern Texas to the southern Appalachians will likely receive totals of 3 to 5 inches through Monday. However, totals could exceed 6 inches in some spots. This may not sound like a lot over a five-day period, but once the ground becomes saturated after the first few rains, additional rainfall could cause localized flooding and spotty road closures.

Widespread flooding is unlikely, but drivers may hit water across surface streets and secondary routes once they exit the interstate highways. This is especially true in low-lying areas and places with poor drainage.

Some of the areas in the potential risk zone for the most rainfall include Dallas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee; Shreveport, Louisiana; Tupelo, Mississippi; Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; and eastern Kentucky.

The National Weather Service has not yet issued any flood watches, but this could change. The forecast track of the system could also change, so look for updates on the FreightWaves website and social media accounts.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.

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