Kansas City metro faces record rainfall and flash floods, prompting water rescues. Warnings issued for mulitple areas of the metro, including Independence, Raytown, and Blue Springs.

The National Hurricane Center said Thursday, July 17 a broad area of low pressure is expected to bring heavy rainfall to portions of the Gulf Coast.

The National Weather Service urged people to avoid travel if a flash flood warning was in place for their area.

The Missouri River is not expected to reach any flood stage in Kansas City, but is predicted to cause moderate flooding downstream in Napoleon and Miami, Missouri. The major river has already risen 5 feet, and is forecasted to rise another 3 feet before its crest at around 7 p.m.

Flash floods are occurring across the U.S., from Texas to New Jersey. Here's what you should know as risks escalate.

Storms prompted flash flood warnings across the New York City metropolitan area Monday night, with photos showing severe flooding across the city and in parts of New York state and New Jersey.

In Kansas City, Kansas, the right lane on westbound K-32, also known as the Kaw Valley Scenic Highway, is closed between South 78th Street and Swartz Road due to flooding. The Kansas Department of Transportation expects the lane to be closed for the next week or two, Kansas City area public information officer Delaney Tholen said.

A sprawling tropical system churning toward the Gulf Coast threatens to bring significant rain and flash flooding this week to a large swath of the southeast, from the Florida panhandle to Louisiana and parts of eastern Texas.