


Hydrometeorological Discussion
Issued by NWS Tuscaloosa, AL
Issued by NWS Tuscaloosa, AL
315 AGUS74 KWCO 141517 HMDNWC National Hydrologic Discussion - EXPERIMENTAL NWS National Water Center - Tuscaloosa AL 1015 AM CDT MON JUL 14 2025 .Synopsis... Locally considerable flooding possible in Texas and the Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast... Isolated flash and urban flooding possible across the Central Gulf Coast and Florida and Oklahoma into Arkansas... Potential for isolated flooding across the Northern Plains into the Upper Midwest and the Middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys... .Texas... Locally considerable flash, urban, and river flooding will remain possible across south-central TX through early day 2 (Tue), as additional rainfall of 2 - 5" (locally 7 - 9") is forecast over already wet basins. Similar to yesterday, the system generating this rainfall remains nearly stationary, and with ample moisture and daytime heating in place, redevelopment of heavy rainfall is likely again this afternoon. The hydrologic environment remains highly sensitive: soils are nearly or fully saturated and in-channel storage is limited due to lingering high flows. With isolated moderate to major flooding ongoing or forecast along portions of the Frio, Guadalupe, and San Saba rivers, flood waves will continue to move through local river systems. Given these conditions, life-threatening flash and river flooding could develop rapidly with localized heavy rainfall, and even modest additional amounts may trigger renewed flood responses. This is supported by the National Water Model (NWM) Short Range Forecast (SRF) which continues to highlight the potential for rapid-onset flooding across portions of the Hill Country, with the strongest signals occurring between Del Rio and Killeen. However, the NWM may be underestimating hydrologic responses and impacts on smaller streams and arroyos, especially in areas where recent flood debris or localized morphological changes have altered flow behavior. Impacts will be primarily driven by rainfall intensity, especially where storms overlap areas already affected by significant flooding in recent days. .Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast... Locally considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding will be possible through this evening across the Southside VA into the Delmarva region, and into southern portions of the Northeast, as slow-moving storms with intense rainfall rates continue to impact the area. Antecedent conditions are variable, generally ranging from dry to near normal, with pockets of wetter soils and locally elevated streamflows due to recent rainfall. Nonetheless, a combination of urban sensitivities, slow storm motion, and localized high rainfall rates may quickly exceed topsoil capacity, enhancing runoff and leading to rapid rises on small streams, creeks, and urban drainages. Locally significant flash flooding may develop where heavier rainfall focuses over the urban corridor from Delmarva to MA, or across the steep terrain of the Central Appalachians. While widespread small stream or river flooding is not expected, the NWM SRF continues to signal potential for at least isolated rapid-onset flooding. However, SRF 12-hour rapid-onset flood probabilities remain below 25%, likely due to the model being slow to fully capture the bulk of QPF within the forecast window. Corresponding annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs), per the High Flow Magnitude Forecast, support the potential for locally significant stream rises, with scattered AEPs in the 10 - 2% range occurring across the aforementioned areas. Additional rounds of rainfall are expected on day 2 (Tue) and through the remainder of the forecast period across much of the region, including further south into the Southern Appalachians and NC Piedmont, bringing a renewed threat for flooding impacts. While confidence remains low in the exact placement and magnitude of any hydrologic responses due to the convective nature of the rainfall, flooding will be possible anywhere that training or intense rainfall develops, especially in urban areas or areas of complex terrain. .Central Gulf Coast and Florida... Isolated flash and urban flooding impacts are possible across southern FL today, and along the Central Gulf Coast and much of the FL Peninsula on day 2 (Tue) through the remainder of the forecast period. Multiple rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall are expected across the region, with 7-day totals of 3 - 7", and locally higher amounts possible. While antecedent conditions vary from dry to somewhat wet, flooding may be initially limited by the presence of sandy, well-drained soils and generally dry to near-normal streamflows. However, repeated rounds of rainfall, particularly with training storms or high rainfall rates, could gradually overwhelm local infiltration capacity and lead to isolated flooding. Urban corridors along I-10 in the Central Gulf Coast and I-95 in southeast FL will also be favorable for flash flooding due to increased impervious surfaces and poor drainage in some areas. .Oklahoma into Arkansas... Isolated flash and urban flooding will also be possible from southeast OK into northwest AR this afternoon through early day 2 (Tue), where locally heavy rainfall rates may develop this afternoon. These areas remain hydrologically sensitive due to rainfall over the past several days. While widespread impacts are not expected, localized flooding could develop quickly where storms repeatedly track over the same areas. .Northern Plains into the Upper Midwest... Periods of locally heavy rainfall on days 2 - 3 (Tue - Wed) may generate isolated flooding impacts. Topsoil conditions across IA, northern IL, and WI have recovered somewhat from previous rainfall (55 - 70% RSM, 0 - 10 cm, NASA SPoRT), while the remainder of the region remains mostly dry. However, streams and rivers are still running higher than normal (USGS), suggesting the hydrologic environment remains somewhat vulnerable, particularly in areas with flashy responses or limited channel capacity. At this time, modest rainfall totals of up to 3" are forecast, and the placement of the highest QPF each day does not overlap, which helps mitigate any widespread flooding concerns. That said, additional rainfall could still lead to rapid rises and localized flooding due to reduced in-channel storage and elevated baseflow conditions, especially across IA. .Middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys... A wet weather pattern bringing daily rounds of rainfall (generally less than 2") today through the forecast period will increase the potential for isolated flooding impacts. Antecedent soil conditions ahead of this first round are wet, but not saturated, and streamflows are near normal. Combined with the expected progressive nature of the convection, this should initially allow for adequate infiltration. However, each subsequent round will further increase hydrologic vulnerability, particularly in areas that experience repeated rainfall. The greatest potential for flooding impacts will be in areas where high rainfall rates or training storms develop, which could quickly overwhelm current ground conditions and lead to enhanced runoff and rising streamflows. For now, confidence in the exact placement or magnitude of any hydrologic responses remains low given the extended timeframe. //Freeman $$