Chicago, Illinois — A dangerous stretch of summer weather is continuing across the Midwest and Ohio Valley, with more severe thunderstorms and life-threatening flash flooding threatening communities already battered by a deadly derecho earlier this week.
Powerful storms swept through the region Monday and Tuesday, producing destructive winds, widespread power outages and at least one death. Then, as another round of heavy rain moved across the region Wednesday, flooding became a major concern.
Forecasters warn the active weather pattern is far from over.
More Severe Storms Threaten the Region
Severe thunderstorms are expected to remain a concern, with damaging wind gusts identified as the primary threat from storms that develop.
However, flooding could become an even bigger problem through Friday morning as repeated rounds of rain move across areas that have already received significant rainfall.
The greatest concern is for locations where storms repeatedly track over the same areas, allowing rainfall to accumulate quickly and overwhelm drainage systems.
Flood Watches have been issued for portions of Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Several areas are facing a Level 2 out of 4 flash flood risk, including major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
Heavy Rain Causes Dangerous Flash Flooding
Forecasters expect widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches, with locally higher amounts of 2 to 3 inches or more possible. Indiana has already experienced some of the most serious flooding.
The National Weather Service issued multiple Flash Flood Emergencies Wednesday as torrential rainfall inundated communities across east-central Indiana.
Emergency warnings covered portions of Delaware, Fayette, Union, Wayne and Franklin counties, with some alerts remaining active into the afternoon.
Parts of Indiana and Ohio have received more than half a foot of rain since Monday, creating dangerous conditions on roads and in low-lying areas.
Ohio Sees More Than 6 Inches of Rain
Some of the most dramatic rainfall totals were recorded in Perry County, Ohio, where more than 6.5 inches of rain fell within just a few hours.
The intense rainfall flooded numerous roads, including areas of downtown Crooksville, prompting officials to issue a Flash Flood Emergency.
The flooding also turned deadly.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine confirmed Wednesday that one person died after emergency responders were unable to reach the individual during a flooding emergency.
The death added another tragic chapter to an already dangerous week of weather.
Deadly Derecho Knocked Out Power Across Six States
The severe weather began Monday and intensified Tuesday when a derecho swept across portions of the Midwest and Ohio Valley.
The storm system produced powerful straight-line winds and left more than one million customers without electricity across roughly half a dozen states.
Illinois, Indiana and Ohio each had more than 300,000 customers without power at the height of the outages, while Kentucky also experienced more than 100,000 outages.
To qualify as a derecho, a storm must produce a widespread corridor of damaging winds extending at least 250 miles.
Wind Gusts Near 100 MPH Hit Illinois
Some of the strongest winds were recorded across northeastern Illinois and the Chicago area.
Several locations reported wind gusts approaching 100 mph, with Sugar Grove recording a 97-mph gust. Shorewood reached 96 mph, while Bradley and Mokena each reported 91-mph gusts.
The damaging winds also triggered Tornado Warnings across parts of Illinois, including areas around Aurora, Joliet, Naperville and downtown Chicago.
Storms Already Claimed a Young Life
The severe weather has already produced deadly consequences.
A 4-year-old child was killed Tuesday after a tree fell onto a home in Geneva Township, Indiana, during the powerful storms, according to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office.
With additional storms and flooding expected, residents across the Midwest and Ohio Valley are being urged to remain alert, especially in areas that have already experienced heavy rainfall.
Have you experienced severe weather or flooding this week? How has the storm system affected your community? Share your experience in the comments below.
