Severe weather brings tornadoes, flooding to Midwest: A.M. News Links

Oklahoma and Arkansas were bracing for their worst-ever flooding as a new wave of storms forecast to roll through the region threatened to further bloat the Arkansas River that already has reached record crests in some areas.

Forecasters reported tornadoes, high winds, hail and heavy rain across the region on Monday, triggering evacuations and high-water rescues. The storms are the latest to rip through the Midwest over the past two weeks, leaving at least nine dead and a trail of damage from high winds and flooding.

In Tulsa, the Oklahoma National Guard patrolled the city’s stressed levee system. 

“The levee system is still operating as designed,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said Monday. But he said that could change: “We are asking for everyone to prepare for the worst-case scenario … the worst flood in our history.” (USA Today)

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