Historic flooding forces evacuations in Southwest as storm shifts east for Election Day

Mason Kumet/Arizona Luminaria/AP

A storm causing historic flooding, evacuations and rescues in the Southwest is now pushing into the central United States, where it will bring soggy weather on Election Day on Tuesday.

The conditions will be much less serious on Election Day but could still affect turnout in key races across the nation’s midsection . Active weather tends to suppress voter turnout while sunshine has the opposite effect, multiple studies have found .

Sedona Fire Department

Rain is finally easing up in the Southwest after the storm dropped multiple months’ worth of it, causing waterways to burst their banks and forcing evacuations in a least a dozen counties across parts of Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

Crews in Arizona are still searching for a missing man who fell into fast-moving floodwater in Flagstaff and have conducted rooftop rescues around Sedona.

Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office

Over 10 rivers, creeks and washes in Arizona and southwest Colorado have now surged past major flood stage — the highest level — and a few have set new record crests. Flooding of some swollen waterways could last through at least Tuesday.

Record flooding is unfolding along the Little Colorado River near Winslow, Arizona, and the Gila River near Solomon, Arizona. The Gila River is more than 2 feet higher than the level capable of flooding several homes and businesses on the north sides of Solomon, Safford and Thatcher, Arizona, according to the National Weather Service .

In Colorado, evacuations have been ordered along the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, which has surged past major flood stage for the second time in about 10 days. Sunday evening’s crest there was nearly 2 feet higher than the destructive flooding on October 23.

The storm is now pushing into the Plains and Midwest with gusty winds and soaking rain.

Severe thunderstorms are possible Monday afternoon into the night across the central and southern Plains, including in Dallas-Fort Worth, Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kansas. Damaging winds are the primary threat, but a few tornadoes are also possible.

The storm will lose some of its strength on Election Day, but rain will impact voters from the Great Plains and Upper Midwest south through the Mississippi Valley to the western Gulf Coast. Key races in Iowa, Kansas, eastern Texas and northern Michigan will deal with wet conditions.

Isolated severe storms are possible from eastern Texas to the lower and middle Mississippi Valley. The threat of flooding rain is low, but voters traveling to the polls could encounter ponding on roads.

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Dry weather will sandwich the storm along much of the East Coast and in the West. Some showers in Florida, northern New England and Northern California are the only exceptions.

Across much of the country, there will be little need to bundle up to go vote. High temperatures in most of the nation’s eastern half are forecast to be 5 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above average. Some portions of the Southwest and Plains will lean a bit cooler than average.

Georgia: Mostly dry except for possible isolated showers in southern Georgia starting in the morning at the coast then spreading inland through afternoon. Highs will hit the 70s and 80s.

Iowa: Rain is likely, with the heaviest totals falling over the eastern portion of the state on Tuesday morning. Additional showers could sprout up in western and central Iowa from the morning through the afternoon. Highs will reach the 60s but could lean cooler in the northwest corner.

Kansas: Scattered showers and windy conditions are likely, especially in northern Kansas from morning into early afternoon. Gusts will range from 20 to 40 mph much of the day. Highs will range from the 40s and 50s in the northwest portions of the state to the 60s in the east.

Maine: Scattered showers are possible across the northern and western portions of the state starting in the morning but will become more likely through the afternoon. Highs will range from the 40s in the state’s north to the 60s in the south.

Michigan: The Upper Peninsula has the highest rain chances throughout the day. A few showers could also clip northern Lower Michigan. Highs will range from the 60s in the Upper Peninsula to the mid-70s in Lower Michigan.

New Hampshire: A stray shower or two is possible in northern portions of the state, especially by the afternoon. Highs will be in the 50s and 60s in the north and near 70 in the south.

North Carolina: Mostly dry with highs in the 70s.

Ohio: Mostly dry with highs in the 70s.

Texas: Eastern and coastal Texas will likely see rain from west to east throughout the day. Houston’s best chance of storms is in the afternoon. A few severe thunderstorms are also possible. Highs will range from the 80s near the coast to the 60s in the state’s panhandle and west Texas.

梅森库梅特/亚利桑那州Luminaria/美联社

一场风暴在美国西南部造成历史性洪水、人员疏散和救援，目前正向美国中部推进，并将于周二选举日当天给该地区带来潮湿天气。

选举日当天天气状况会好得多，但仍可能影响中部地区关键选区的投票率。多项研究发现，恶劣天气往往会抑制投票率，而阳光则会产生相反的效果。

塞多纳消防局

西南地区的降雨终于减弱了，这场风暴带来了相当于几个月的降雨量，导致河道决堤，迫使亚利桑那州、科罗拉多州和新墨西哥州部分地区的至少十几个县的居民撤离。

亚利桑那州的救援人员仍在搜寻一名在弗拉格斯塔夫落入湍急洪水中的失踪男子，并在塞多纳附近进行了屋顶救援。

亚瓦派县警长办公室

亚利桑那州和科罗拉多州西南部已有超过10条河流、溪流和冲沟的水位超过了主要洪水警戒水位（最高水位），其中一些水位甚至创下了新的历史纪录。部分水道的洪水可能至少会持续到周二。

亚利桑那州温斯洛附近的小科罗拉多河和所罗门附近的希拉河正遭受创纪录的洪水侵袭。据美国国家气象局称，希拉河水位已超过足以淹没所罗门、萨福德和撒切尔北部多处民宅和商铺的警戒水位2英尺（约60厘米）。

在科罗拉多州，帕戈萨斯普林斯圣胡安河沿岸已下令疏散居民。该河水位在短短十天内第二次超过主要洪水警戒水位。周日晚间的水位峰值比10月23日那场破坏性洪水还要高出近2英尺。

目前，这场风暴正带着狂风和暴雨向平原和中西部地区推进。

周一下午至夜间，美国中部和南部平原地区，包括达拉斯-沃斯堡、俄克拉荷马城和堪萨斯州威奇托等地，可能出现强雷暴天气。破坏性大风是主要威胁，但也不排除出现龙卷风的可能性。

这场风暴在选举日当天强度会有所减弱，但降雨仍将影响从大平原和中西部北部地区向南延伸至密西西比河谷，直至墨西哥湾沿岸西部的选民。爱荷华州、堪萨斯州、德克萨斯州东部和密歇根州北部等关键选区的选举将受到潮湿天气的影响。

从德克萨斯州东部到密西西比河下游和中游流域，局部地区可能出现强风暴雨。虽然暴雨引发洪涝灾害的风险较低，但前往投票站的选民可能会遇到道路积水的情况。

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干燥天气将笼罩东海岸大部分地区和西部，使风暴难以影响。只有佛罗里达州、新英格兰北部和加利福尼亚州北部会有一些阵雨。

全国大部分地区无需穿得太厚去投票。预计东部大部分地区的气温将比平均水平高出华氏5到20度。西南部和中部平原部分地区的气温则会略低于平均水平。

佐治亚州：除南部沿海地区早晨可能出现零星阵雨外，大部分地区天气干燥，阵雨随后向内陆蔓延，持续到下午。最高气温将达到70至80华氏度。

爱荷华州：预计周二上午东部地区将出现强降雨，降雨量最大。从上午到下午，爱荷华州西部和中部地区也可能出现零星阵雨。最高气温将达到60华氏度左右，但西北部地区气温可能略低。

堪萨斯州：预计全天将有零星阵雨和大风天气，尤其是在堪萨斯州北部，从早晨到午后早些时候尤为明显。阵风风速全天大部分时间将达到每小时20至40英里。最高气温在西北部地区为40至50华氏度，东部地区为60华氏度。

缅因州：该州北部和西部地区早晨可能出现零星阵雨，下午降雨可能性增大。最高气温北部地区在40华氏度左右，南部地区在60华氏度左右。

密歇根州：上半岛全天降雨概率最高。下半岛北部也可能出现零星阵雨。上半岛最高气温在60华氏度左右，下半岛最高气温在70华氏度左右。

新罕布什尔州：该州北部地区，尤其是在下午，可能会有零星阵雨。北部最高气温将在50到60华氏度之间，南部接近70华氏度。

北卡罗来纳州：大部分地区干燥，最高气温70多华氏度。

俄亥俄州：大部分地区干燥，最高气温70多华氏度。

德克萨斯州：德克萨斯州东部和沿海地区全天可能自西向东降雨。休斯顿下午出现雷暴的可能性最大。部分地区也可能出现强雷暴。沿海地区最高气温将达到80多华氏度（约27摄氏度），而德克萨斯州狭长地带和西部地区则在60多华氏度（约16摄氏度）左右。