Hurricane Simon to fuel multiday flood threat across Great Plains as remnants move inland

THE TAKEAWAY

• Severe storms volition plague the Central U.S. done Thursday.
• Storms are triggering a Level 2 flood menace for Kansas and Missouri.
• Widespread precipitation totals of astir 1 to 2 inches are expected, stretching from Northern Texas done Illinois, covering much than 900 miles.

Hurricane Simon continues to make arsenic it inches closer, conscionable disconnected Mexico's coast, and is expected to marque landfall astatine immoderate constituent Sunday.

Category 4 Hurricane Simon is located astir 65 miles west–northwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

RACHEL'S REMNANTS FUEL MAJOR WEST COAST FLOOD THREAT WITH HEAVY RAINFALL SOAKING MILLIONS

A Hurricane Warning is successful effect from Punta San Telmo to El Roblito and Las Islas Marias, Mexico.

As the tempest weakens, its remnants volition displacement northward, bringing a surge of tropical moisture into the Great Plains and fueling a multiday menace of storms and flooding.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HURRICANE MAKING A DIRECT HIT AND LANDFALL?

Starting Monday, a heavy dip successful the jet stream volition hover implicit the Southwest U.S. portion a monolithic ridge of high pressure builds crossed the South and the Gulf.

These 2 upwind events volition assistance propulsion moisture northward from the remnants of Hurricane Simon, on with tropical moisture from the Gulf.

By Tuesday, moisture levels and a disturbance moving retired of the Rockies volition let storms to develop.

HOW HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE DRIVE THE WEATHER

As a result, a Level 2 retired of 5 severe storm hazard is successful spot crossed Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles.

Meteorologists astatine the FOX Forecast Center expect scattered downpours that could origin isolated flash flooding crossed bluish Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, wherever a level 1 retired of 4 flash flood menace is successful place.

CENTER POINT, TEXAS - JULY 16: People place the Guadalupe River aft flash flooding occurred on its banks connected July 16, 2026 successful Center Point, Texas. Flash floods swept crossed parts of Central Texas, bringing dense rainfall, prompting evacuations, and triggering aggregate h2o rescues.

(Brandon Bell / Getty Images)

By Wednesday, the nasty storms volition amusement nary signs of slowing arsenic precipitation intensifies and shifts somewhat east.

By then, a Level 2 retired of 4 flash flood menace volition beryllium progressive crossed occidental Kansas, astir of Missouri and occidental Illinois, including fashionable cities specified arsenic Kansas City, St. Louis, Missouri and Wichita, Kansas.

MAPPING HURRICANE ISAIAS' DEADLY PATH: HOW THE VIOLENT CATEGORY 2 STORM UNFOLDED ACROSS FLORIDA AND GULF COAST

On Thursday, the bedewed upwind volition displacement Northeast into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region, wherever repeated rounds of rainfall are expected.

Widespread precipitation totals of astir 1 to 2 inches are likely, stretching from Northern Texas done Illinois, covering much than 900 miles.

POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE RACHEL FUELS MAJOR WEST COAST FLOOD THREAT WITH HEAVY RAINFALL SOAKING MILLIONS

Despite the increasing inclination of bedewed upwind passim the week, it volition payment areas crossed Oklahoma, Southern Missouri and Texas wherever persistent utmost to exceptional drought has remained.