Put away the patio furniture: St. Louis could see thunderstorms, winds up to 70 mph tonight

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)

May 21-- May 21--UPDATED with time storm is expected to arrive in metro area

A long north-south line of storms is expected to hit the St. Louis area Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service, bringing with it wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and the possibility of tornadoes.

The fast-moving storm is expected to arrive in the metro area sometime between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday -- when thousands of people have gathered downtown for the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues games.

The "squall line" of storms will move through the area quickly, though it will cover a large area all at once, weather service officials said.

The area's flooding woes are not over, according to the weather service. Heavy rainfall could cause flooding in areas along the Mississippi River, including in the St. Louis area. The chance of precipitation for the city of St. Louis on Tuesday evening and night is near 100 percent.

A flood warning issued Monday morning will continue until further notice, officials said. The National Weather Service advises people in the St. Louis area to never drive cars or other vehicles through flooded areas, as the water could be too deep to safely pass through.

Moderate flooding is expected along the Mississippi River in the St. Louis area. Flooding at that portion of the river begins at river levels of 30 feet, and the river is expected to rise until it reaches more than 38 feet Saturday evening.

On Monday evening, Gov. Mike Parson announced that President Donald Trump had granted a request for a disaster declaration for 13 Missouri counties that were impacted by storm and flooding damage from March 11 to April 16. The affected counties are Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Holt, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Platte, Ray and Ste. Genevieve.

The declaration grants millions of dollars in federal assistance to these counties to assist with bridge and road repair, as well as making up some of the cost of emergency response during the storms and flooding. It also makes assistance available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Program, which is designed to reduce long-term risk to people and property due to natural hazards, according to a statement from the governor's office.

___

Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.