Big Storms and Heat Are Hitting the U.S. This Sunday

What’s Happening With the Weather?

Imagine the sky getting super angry. On Sunday, strong and scary weather is expected in many parts of the United States. This includes thunderstorms (storms with lightning and thunder) that bring:

• Very strong winds that can break things
• Lots and lots of rain
• Sometimes big hail (pieces of ice falling from the sky)

This bad weather is coming right after recent flash floods (when water rises super fast) that sadly killed at least 8 people across the country.

Where the Storms Will Go

Here are the places that need to watch out on Sunday:

• Southern Virginia to northern Georgia: Storms with damaging winds and heavy rain are expected.
• Norfolk and Virginia Beach in Virginia, and Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina: These cities are in the path of Sunday afternoon storms.
• Central and eastern North Carolina: Getting ready for possible flooding.
• Dakotas and Western Minnesota: Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail likely Sunday afternoon into evening.
• Southwest U.S.: Widespread thunderstorms and heavy downpours from "monsoonal moisture" (a fancy way of saying rainy air from seasonal winds). Flash floods possible, with rain falling at 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Important Point: More than 1,000 flights were canceled on Sunday. Airlines are still catching up after Saturday’s storms in the Northeast. The FAA (the people who control airplanes in the U.S.) says more delays are possible Sunday evening because of Southeast storms.

What Happened Before Sunday

On Saturday, the Northeast got dumped with rain. In New York City, some streets turned into rivers! Drivers got stuck on busy highways.

• In Woodside, Queens: Firefighters drove through floodwater to rescue trapped drivers on the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway.
• In Flushing, Queens: Homeowners said flooding damaged their houses.

Heat Advisories From the Dakotas to the Gulf Coast

While some places get storms, others get cooked!

• Heat advisories (warnings that it’s dangerously hot) stretch from the Dakotas to the Gulf Coast.
• Temperatures will reach the mid-90s or higher.
• With humidity (wet air), it may feel like 105 degrees in the Dakotas and Gulf Coast.
• Extreme heat watch in southeastern Kansas through at least Tuesday: It may feel like 110 degrees there.

Tragic Deaths From Flash Floods

Sunday’s weather follows days of heavy rain in Texas Hill Country and the Southwest. Since Thursday, at least 8 people have died.

Here are some of those sad stories:

• Utah: A fire captain named Spencer Long, his wife, and three sons were swept away by a flash flood on Friday during a hike at Sunglow Campground in Fishlake National Forest near Bicknell. They all died. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the deaths but did not name them publicly.
• Arizona: A 29-year-old man named Ernesto Ojeda, who had a developmental disability, was pulled into the Santa Cruz River in Tucson by a flash flood on Friday. His body was found on Saturday.
• Texas: Governor Greg Abbott said two people died in flash floods in Uvalde and Kerr counties in Texas’s Hill Country.

Important Point: Flash floods are very dangerous and fast. In just the last few days, they took the lives of at least 8 people, including a whole family on a hiking trip.

Summary

To wrap it up like a cozy blanket:

• Severe thunderstorms with strong winds and hail hit from Virginia to Georgia, plus the Dakotas and Minnesota on Sunday.
• The Southwest may see flash floods with heavy rain.
• Over 1,000 flights were canceled and more delays are expected.
• The Northeast got flooded streets on Saturday.
• Hot heat warnings cover the Dakotas to the Gulf Coast, feeling like 105°F, and Kansas may hit 110°F.
• At least 8 deaths happened from recent flash floods in Texas, Utah, and Arizona, including a fire captain and his family.

FAQ

Q: What is a flash flood?
A: It’s when water rises extremely fast—like a sudden wall of water—usually from heavy rain in a short time.

Q: Why were so many flights canceled?
A: Storms on Saturday and Sunday made it unsafe or hard for planes to fly, so airlines canceled over 1,000 trips and the FAA warned of more delays.

Q: What does “feels like 105 degrees” mean?
A: That’s the “real feel” when you mix hot temperature with humid air. Your body feels hotter than the number on the thermometer.

Q: How can I stay safe in this weather?
A: Stay inside during storms, don’t drive into flooded roads, and drink water if you’re in a heat advisory area.

Q: Where exactly did the family die in Utah?
A: At the Sunglow Campground near Bicknell, Utah, during a flash flood on a hiking trip.