Flooding could impact more than 88 million as storms threaten multiple states

U.S. Flooding could impact more than 88 million as severe storms threaten multiple states By Emily Mae Czachor Emily Mae Czachor News Editor Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and climate. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek. Read Full Bio Emily Mae Czachor June 8, 2026 / 10:46 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Flooding could impact more than 88 million people across the middle of the country this week, forecasts show, as severe weather threatens multiple U.S. states in the Midwest and northern Plains. The upcoming storms come on the heels of others that already brought heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the country over the weekend, leading to at least one death in New York City.Large swaths of the Midwest were under flood watches on Monday morning, including much of Missouri, and Illinois, with some extending farther south through Tennessee and into northern Alabama and Georgia. The watches, which are issued when weather conditions mean flooding is possible but not necessarily guaranteed, currently affect about 20 million people. Nikki Nolan/CBS News "Locally heavy rainfall may lead to flooding, especially in areas that have already received substantial rainfall in recent days," the National Weather Service in Kansas City said in an advisory Monday.The National Weather Service said severe storms across the central Plains could potentially produce "very large hail, severe wind gusts, and a few tornadoes," while heavy rain posed risks of flash flooding across sections of the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. Forecasters have predicted that rainfall may reach up to 8 inches in certain places. Cities facing some of the greatest storm hazards Monday include Denver, Wichita, Kansas City and St. Louis, according to CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. The southwestern corner of Missouri and northwestern corner o...