UPDATED: Flash Flood Warning Issued for Rice County

UPDATED: 7:50 p.m.

The Flash Flood Warning has expired. A watch remains in effect until 1 a.m. Thursday.

According to the National Weather Service:

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...ALONG WITH A SMALL PART OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH THIS EVENING. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WATCH AREA INCLUDE MORA...HUTCHINSON...THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA... OWATONNA...RED WING...RIVER FALLS...NEW RICHMOND AND BALSAM LAKE.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF THE WATCH AREA. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL MAY OCCUR IN A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. THE GROUND IS NEARLY SATURATED ACROSS MUCH OF THE WATCH AREA FROM PREVIOUS RAINFALL OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. ANY SUSTAINED HEAVY RAIN WILL LEAD TO RAPID RUNOFF ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

UPDATED: 5 p.m.

A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for Rice County. The warning expires at 9:30 p.m.

Northfield has received 1.16 inches of rain today as of 5 p.m., according to the Weather Database.

When responding to a on the city's north side around 3:45 p.m., Lockwood Drive was already flooding.

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According to the National Weather Service:

RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE...RED WING...CANNON FALLS...DENNISON...DUNDAS...MIESVILLE...NERSTRAND... NEW TRIER...NORTHFIELD...RANDOLPH...STANTON...WASTEDO AND WELCH. THE CANNON RIVER BASIN AND ITS TRIBUTARIES WILL BE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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The National Weather Service says as much as 2 inches of rain per hour could fall as storms roll through the area.

The rain, coming after several days of in the past , could cause flooding.

The NWS says there's a small risk that a few of the storms could be severe with large hail and damaging wind. 

Today's forecast:

This Afternoon: Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Steady temperature around 72. West wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. 

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. West northwest wind between 9 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. 

According to the National Weather Service:

THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY FROM SOUTH CENTRAL INTO EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AS COLD FRONT SLOWLY WORKS EAST ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WITH RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR... POSSIBLY CAUSING FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING. THERE IS A SMALL RISK THAT A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG OR SEVERE STORMS WILL DIMINISH GREATLY THIS EVENING ONCE THE COLD FRONT EXITS TO THE EAST.