Multiplerounds of thunderstormsare expected to hit the southern and central United States on Memorial Day, according to theNational Weather Service. Forecasters warn of excessive rainfall and severe thunderstorms over parts of the Southern Plains, as well as the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys on May 26. Flood watches have been issued over swaths of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Theregion already had days of rainfall since Friday, May 23. On Memorial Day, rainfall amounts could be as high as 1 to 3 inches per hour, with runoff from heavy rain creating "dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions," AccuWeather said in an email update. Forecasters also warned of hail in parts. Parts of northeasternTexas, near Tyler, andLouisiana, near Shreveport and Natchez, have flash flood warnings, local weather service offices said. The warnings also extended to parts of Mississippi. Early on Memorial Day, the affected areas already had heavy rains with flash flooding ongoing or expected, officials said. Thewarning in and around Shreveportaffected more than 350,000 people. Officials urged people to immediately move to higher ground. In Mississippi, warnings extended further south along the Mississippi River through most of the morning. Flash flooding would likely occur in small creeks and streams, as well as on highways, streets and underpasses with poor drainage and in low-lying areas, officials said. The weather service warned people not to drive into flooded roads, sincemost flood deaths occur in cars. Officials also said to be cautious at night when it's harder to see flooding. AccuWeather warned that repeated flooding downpours could cause delays and shutdowns at interstate highways and airports in the region. Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport had ground delays for nearly an hour due to thunderstorms, according to theFederal Aviation Administration. AccuWeather also said travel may be affected at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, in Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as at Memphis International Airport, in Tennessee. Heavy rainfall over the weekend has resulted in flooding across the Ozarks region, AccuWeather said. People with holiday or travel plans in the recreational area should be prepared for significant flooding, the weather company said. By the afternoon and evening, storms are projected to form incentral and western Texas. TheSan Angelo weather service officehad enhanced risk levels for damaging winds and very large hail with an isolated tornado possible. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Memorial Day forecast: Severe storms, rain in south-central US
