Texas–Midwest storm danger Rescues and flood forecast

Sep 27–Oct 2

ABC's Alex Perez reports from Dallas on the eastward-moving storm system affecting Texas and the Midwest, with more than 30 million people under flood and wind alerts. The report shows Fort Worth vehicles and a bus inundated near Arlington Heights High School that morning, a firefighter carrying a woman to safety, an Abilene vehicle rescue, an Omaha I-80 semi jackknife caught by Tyler Cross's dashcam, and tornado damage northwest of Wichita with no injuries reported. Perez describes continuing Dallas flooding and further rain expected overnight. Lee Goldberg explains Kansas flash-flood emergencies, Midwest rainfall exceeding a half foot, Austin-to-Chicago watches and the greatest forecast flood risk in East Central Texas. His predicted rainfall rates, easing threat the next day and wet weekend remain forecasts.

ABC's September 27 forecast follows a moisture plume from Odalys's remnants into Arizona and New Mexico, warning of flooding, mudslides and debris flows. On September 28 Ginger Zee expands the level-three-out-of-four flood outlook through the Four Corners toward Texas and Oklahoma, with significant Dallas risk later in the week. On September 29 ABC reports more than 30 million people under alerts from Arizona to Iowa across ten states. It shows separate rescues west of Phoenix and near Las Vegas, a Doña Ana County flash-flood emergency and an I-25 closure near Hatch. Zee links the storms partly to Pacific tropical moisture, including Polo, and forecasts significant overnight flooding in parts of New Mexico and Kansas, shifting pockets of risk across the Plains, and possible damaging winds in Texas the next afternoon and evening. Observed impacts remain distinct from forecast hazards. On September 30 ABC reports 24 million people under alerts, tornadoes near Rozel and Amarillo, Texas street flooding and a Doña Ana County vehicle rescue. Alex Perez describes Polo's remnants inundating southern Utah and advancing toward Colorado, Texas and Iowa; Texas has pre-positioned rescue teams. Ginger Zee explains current Texas thunderstorm and Kansas tornado watches and forecasts damaging winds, hail and very heavy rain, including possible Dallas totals above five inches over two days. Observed incidents are reported; the later rainfall totals and hazards remain forecasts. ABC's October 1 continuation reports more than 30 million under Texas-to-Midwest alerts, Fort Worth flooding and rescues that morning, an Abilene rescue, an Omaha semi jackknife and tornado damage northwest of Wichita with no injuries reported. Alex Perez reports continuing Dallas flooding; Lee Goldberg describes Kansas flash-flood emergencies, heavy Midwest rainfall and current watches, followed by qualified overnight and weekend forecasts. The source explicitly calls this the same eastward-moving system. Later forecast days are not treated as occurred impacts. On October 2 Lee Goldberg explicitly describes the same multi-day central-U.S. deluge's wet pattern shifting east. ABC reports heavy rain from the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic and forecasts the heaviest rain on Sunday, widespread two-to-four-inch totals and locally six inches from Florida to the Carolinas. This is the connected eastward continuation; the Sunday totals are forecasts, not observed October 4 impacts. The separate Southern California heat warning in the same weather unit is outside this event.