Severe Storms Sweep Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas; Flood Risk Persists

Overview

• The NWS issued multiple Severe Thunderstorm Watches for parts of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and West Texas, including Watch 682 and Watch 684, that cite 2.5-inch hail and wind gusts near 70–80 mph as primary threats.
• Thunderstorms that formed along a dryline and a sagging cold/stationary front have shifted from discrete hail-producing supercells into larger clusters and linear modes that favor damaging straight-line winds.
• WPC mesoscale precipitation discussions warned of training storms capable of 1–2 inches per hour and localized 2–4+ inch totals across the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma, and they said flash flooding is likely in spots that already received heavy rain.
• Forecasters continue to monitor for brief, isolated tornadoes where supercell updrafts persist but say confidence in sustained tornado production is low.
• Local NWS offices and river forecast centers urged people to follow watches and warnings because placement and timing remain uncertain and further upscale growth could expand damaging-wind and flood impacts.