Residents and businesses from southeast Texas north through western Missouri prepared for flooding Tuesday after a violent wave of storms brought heavy rain, hail, and at least one tornado, with more of the same weather forecast for the next few days. The National Weather Service (NWS) said a tornado hit Monday evening about 40 kilometers southwest of San Antonio, Texas. It damaged several homes, but no deaths were reported, according to the San Antonio Express newspaper. The new wave of storms followed two tornadoes that damaged homes and trains in Nebraska on Sunday. Flooding remains a serious concern across the affected areas of the south-central United States. Thirty centimeters of rain is expected in Tulsa, Oklahoma over the next two days. Twenty centimeters of rain was expected in southeastern Kansas, which has been unusually dry for almost a year. The area has had less than three-fourths of the precipitation it typically receives since last April. The NWS said some low-lying areas experienced flash floods, including along the Marmaton River at Fort Scott, Kansas. Forecasters said the river likely would exceed flood stage later Tuesday, but water levels would drop Thursday when the rain ends. In Arkansas, emergency management officials prepared teams to respond to flash floods, especially in the western part of the state where the heaviest rain was expected. The U.S. Forest Service closed campsites Monday, exercising caution after 20 people died in a flash flood at a remote campground in 2010.
