Historic flooding strikes Heartland as water levels creep higher

The Arkansas River continued cresting at record levels on Wednesday morning as 57 flood gauges remained at major or record flood stages.

Major to historic flooding is expected throughout the week, with concerns again focused on the Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

Tropical moisture is delivering heavy rain throughout Gulf Coast states Wednesday morning, and Houston could see flash flooding later in the day. Flash flood watches have been issued for parts of Texas and Louisiana.

Over the next few days, some areas could see half a foot of rain, with flash flooding stretching from Texas into the Carolinas.

Elsewhere, two tornadoes were seen Tuesday in New Mexico. Minor damage and baseball-sized hail were reported.

Severe weather also was reported in Minnesota, where the southern part of the state saw winds of 85 mph. Areas near the Twin Cities saw street flooding with 3 to 4 inches of rain.

An estimated 31 million people over 10 states could see severe weather, including damaging wind, hail or tornadoes, throughout Wednesday. Thunderstorms are forecast later in the day for parts of the mid-Atlantic region into New England.