The National Weather Service (NWS) issued flood warnings and advisories across eight southern U.S. states on Thursday as severe thunderstorms brought heavy rain and raised the risk of rapid flooding.

Official alerts listed Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina as areas currently under a range of flood-related warnings.

Why It Matters

This wave of flood warnings followed earlier destructive thunderstorms that impacted the South, resulting in widespread property damage, power outages, and at least one death.

Those storms are predicted to continue into Friday, with heavy rain and thunderstorms likely from Texas into the southeast.

What To Know

The NWS has issued flood advisories and warnings for rivers across multiple states as days of heavy rainfall mean they are more likely to break their banks and flood.

Motorists are advised not to attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas, while pedestrians are warned not to walk alongside rivers in flood warning zones.

Lowland areas and farms may also be affected, according to the NWS alert.

Officials warned that persistent rainfall and the threat of more thunderstorms could lead to additional flooding in urban centers and rural zones alike.

In addition to floods, the thunderstorms are bringing other hazards to the region as well, including “large to very large hail,” damaging wind gusts, and tornados, according to a forecast from the NWS.

Flooding could remain a concern for several states currently dealing with the excessive rainfall. According to the NWS Climate Prediction Center’s six- to 10-day precipitation outlook, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas have a slight chance of above-normal precipitation.

Meanwhile, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana are expecting normal precipitation for this time of year during the same period, whereas South Carolina has a chance of below-normal precipitation.

What People Are Saying

NWS meteorologist Matt Bishop, who works at the Fort Worth office, told Newsweek: “May is definitely one of our more active times of year. In fact, March, April, and May are typically fairly active as far as thunderstorms go, not just here but all throughout the Plains and southern part of the U.S. We’ve gotten enough rain here recently to where it has caused some river flooding.”

Bishop added:”Flooding is another one of those hazards that comes along with the active thunderstorm season we have.”

Most NWS flood warnings said: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”

What Happens Next

The storms are expected to continue through until the weekend. Rivers can take time to recede, so most flood warnings are in place “until further notice.”