National Weather Service Issues Severe Thunder Storm and Flash Flood Warnings Over Weekend

National Weather ServiceOver the weekend, Knox County saw several severe thunderstorm warnings and flash flood warnings issued by the National Weather Service.

National Weather Service Chief Meteorologist Patrick Bak says storms kept occurring over the same areas, which caused a risk for flash flooding.

Bak tells WGIL that it’s caused by an air mass over the area that produced multiple storms.

“We’ve been seeing an air mass that’s significant and conducive to widespread thunderstorm development–we’ve had waves of thunderstorms come through,” says Bak. “It hasn’t really been any one distinct weather system pattern where its been supportive of storm development.”

Bak says storms become severe when winds exceed about 58 miles per hour and hail bigger than an inch is expected.

Bak says no reports of hail were submitted for Knox County, but there was some mild wind damage.

The Flash Flood warning was in effect until Sunday morning for Spoon River in Knox County, with the flood stage at 15 feet and reported water levels Saturday at 15.5 feet.

Bak says the number one cause of death in flash floods is in vehicles, so he advises to not try to drive or walk through a flash flood, but to get to higher ground.

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