Flash Flood Warning Now in Effect: Live Radar Maps, Impact Zones, and Urgent Safety Tips

Residents across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma are on high alert today as the National Weather Service (NWS) issues multiple flash-flood warnings following days of relentless downpours. Forecasters say an additional 1–3 inches of rain per hour could fall through tonight, rapidly overwhelming creeks, bayous, storm drains and low-lying roadways. Heavy rain already triggered warnings near Tyler, Shreveport, Natchez and the Mississippi Delta early Wednesday, affecting more than 350,000 people, with NWS officials urging anyone in flood-prone zones to “move immediately to higher ground”. Urban areas face added danger as saturated soil and clogged drainage leave streets vulnerable to swift water surges. What to expect over the next 24 hours • Storm clusters will redevelop this afternoon from the Hill Country of Texas to western Arkansas, bringing torrents of rain, intense lightning and isolated hail. • Interstate corridors I-20, I-30 and I-40 could experience rapid ponding, road closures and multi-hour delays as water rises. • Major hubs—including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston’s Bush Intercontinental, Little Rock and Memphis airports—may see ground stops and flight diversions as visibility drops and thunderstorms flare. Why this event is so dangerous Flash flooding strikes fastest where soil can’t absorb water—steep terrain, urban concrete and already-soggy ground. Six inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet, and a foot can float most vehicles, the NWS warns. Safety checklist: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” • Never drive around barricades; water depth and road integrity are impossible to judge. • Avoid walking through floodwaters; they often hide debris, open manholes and live electrical lines. • If water rises around your car, abandon it and reach higher ground if you can do so safely. • Keep a battery-powered weather radio or smartphone alerts active; flash-flood warnings mean flooding is happening now. Looking ahead The Storm Prediction Center projects a slight risk of additional severe thunderstorms Thursday from south-central Texas across the lower Mississippi Valley, keeping the flash-flood threat elevated. Dry weather should begin pushing in from the west by Friday, but rivers and bayous may remain above flood stage into the weekend. Bottom line If you live, work or travel anywhere within the current flash-flood warning zones, monitor local updates, have an evacuation route in mind and be ready to act immediately. Lives are lost every year because drivers underestimate floodwaters—don’t let convenience outweigh safety when the next storm cell arrives.