Floodwaters overtook some areas of western Virginia Friday evening as more than 15 million people were at risk of dangerous flash floods in pockets of nearly every region of the contiguous United States as the nation'ssummer of floodingcontinues. As summer heat starts to peak, July has seen theexact conditions neededforflooding rain. An abundance of incredibly moist, humid air has been fueling a majority of Friday's flood risk, giving storms the potential to dump very heavy, overwhelming rain in a short period of time. Here's what to expect in the main areas at risk. A Level 3 of 4 flooding rain threat remains in place for parts of northern and southeast Virginia and northeastern West Virginia, with Level 2 of 4 risks covering portions of the mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley and Midwest, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley have been hit byround after roundof soaking rain this summer, leaving the soil less able to absorb additional rain and area waterways swollen. And a stalled storm front draped across more than half a dozen states dumped multiple rounds of rain in the Midwest throughout the day. Portions of western Virginia were already seeing significant effects. Two people were recovered and taken to the hospital after being swept away by floodwaters in Dickenson County, after heavy rain hit the area, according to Sheriff Jeremy Fleming. There has been structural damage to homes, cars and roadways but there are no reports of fatalities at this time, he said. The situation is "pretty dire" in neighboring Russell County, sheriff's office Capt. William Puckett told CNN. They have seen significant flooding, numerous mudslides and trees down in the area, he said. "We've got several swift water rescue teams, the majority of our deputies, state police and other resources en route," he said. Rescue teams are going door to door to check in on all the residents in Dante, where a significant amount of the flooding happened, but so far they've only reported four minor injuries, Virginia State Police Public Relations Director Robin Lawson said. The West Virginia-Virginia border area has been hit particularly hard this summer, which was exacerbated Friday evening with heavily saturated soil, which prevents the rain from absorbing. Petersburg, Virginia - just south of Richmond – has also been dealing with severe flooding in recent days and could get more soaking rain Friday. The city was under a flash flood emergency, the most severe flood warning, on Monday night as floodwater rose quickly. Slow-moving, heavy storms passed through the Midwest Friday afternoon, and some will continue overnight. Multiple flash flood warnings were in effect in eastern Kentucky Friday evening after heavy, slow-moving storms developed. Heavy rain broke daily rainfall records in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas and Missouri on Thursday. Drenching storms dumped up to 9 inches of rain and prompted early morning flash flooding along the Kansas-Missouri border, including the Kansas City metro area, Thursday. A separate round of storms late Thursday night in Arkansas flooded roads and triggered multiple water rescues. Overwhelming rainfall is becoming more prevalentdue to climate change, as rising global temperatures drive weather toward extremes. Hourly rainfall rates have grown heavier in nearly 90% of large US cities since 1970, according to a study from the nonprofit research group Climate Central. Heavy storms could trigger flash flooding across parts of the Southwest, Rockies and Nevada, especially over wildfire burn scars and flood-prone canyon or valley areas. The Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona and the flood-weary town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, are among the areas under a Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain. Ruidoso was the site ofdeadly floodinglast week that killed three people, including two children. The town dealt with another round of dangerous flooding on Thursday after nearly an inch of rain fell during afternoon thunderstorms. Authorities conducted three swift water rescues Thursday: One of the people rescued was trapped in a trailer near Ruidoso, while another was taken to safety from nearby Ruidoso Downs, according to CNN affiliateKOAT. All three were unharmed. No deaths have been reported as of early Friday, CNN affiliateKFOXsaid. Any quick burst of rain can almost instantly cause issues for the area given the recent rainfall and how damaged the ground still is after its2024 wildfires. Burned ground cannot properly absorb water, which creates immediate runoff. CNN's Taylor Romine contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com
