Record flooding, tornadoes stretch from Texas to Midwest

A stalled frontal boundary continues to bring flooding rain, severe storms, freezing rain and snow from Texas to Michigan. More than 5 inches of rain has been reported in parts of Midwest over the last 24 hours sending many rivers into major flooding.

Some Midwest rivers, such as the Kankakee River in Indiana, are expected to be in record flood stage this weekend.

This morning, 28 states from Oregon to Maine are under winter weather alerts.

The storm system stretches from Texas to Michigan on Wednesday morning with ice and snow on the back side from northern Texas to Michigan and heavy rain ahead of it from eastern Texas to Ohio.

In Marseilles, Illinois, some 70 miles southwest of Chicago, officials evacuated approximately 200 homes on Wednesday due to flooding concerns from the rising Illinois River. Displaced people may go to the Lions Club or the American Legion in Marseilles, police said.

The stalled weather pattern will continue to bring more rain on Thursday from Texas into Ohio Valley and a rain and snow mix in the Northeast. At the same time, a new storm system will bring snow to the western Great Lakes and the Upper Midwest.

The stormy weather will continue into Friday and more rain is expected from Texas through the Ohio Valley.

Rainfall totals will be heavy from Texas into the Ohio Valley, as locally 4 to 6 additional inches are possible. Snow is possible for the Great Plains and western Great Lakes, where some areas could see another half a foot of snow.

Some snow is also possible in the Northeast from western New York and Pennsylvania into New England and maybe even Boston.

February heat

Dozens of daily record highs were set yesterday across the East, including a lot of the all-time record highs for February. Tampa (89 degrees), Louisville (82), Indianapolis (77), Pittsburgh (78) and Cincinnati (79) all set February records on Tuesday.

Today, more all-time February record highs are possible in the East, where the forecast for New York City is 72 degrees, Boston is forecast at 69 degrees and Philadelphia is projected at 77 degrees.