At least 16 dead in flooding and tornadoes as storms slash from Texas to Ohio – Washington Examiner
Severe weather conditions including torrential rain and tornadoes have resulted in at least 16 fatalities across the South and Midwest of the United States. This ongoing crisis has led to critically important flash flooding from Texas to Ohio, with the National Weather Service warning of major flood stages in various states. Reports indicate that rivers are expected to rise for several days, resulting in extensive flooding of infrastructure.
The deaths include several individuals in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas, highlighting the danger posed by the storms. The flooding has also disrupted interstate commerce, particularly affecting major shipping hubs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis. Emergency warnings have been issued across multiple states, with many roads becoming impassable due to floodwaters.
Forecasters attribute the extreme weather to a combination of warm temperatures and unstable atmospheric conditions. This situation has prompted local officials in various regions to deliver evacuation orders and alert residents to the dangers of ongoing travel. As communities brace for more rainfall and potential additional damage, shelters have opened to accommodate those displaced by the storms.
At least 16 dead in flooding and tornadoes as storms slash from Texas to Ohio
DYERSBURG, Tennessee (AP) — Another round of torrential rain and flash flooding came Saturday for parts of the South and Midwest already heavily waterlogged by days of severe storms that also spawned deadly tornadoes. Forecasters warned that rivers in some places would continue to rise for days.
Day after day of heavy rains have pounded the central U.S., rapidly swelling waterways and prompting a series of flash flood emergencies in from Texas to Ohio. The National Weather Service said dozens of locations in multiple states were expected to reach what the agency calls “major flood stage,” with extensive flooding of structures, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure possible.
At least 16 weather-related deaths have been reported since the start of the storms, including 10 in Tennessee.
A 57-year-old man died Friday evening after getting out of a car that washed off a road in West Plains, Missouri. Flooding killed two people in Kentucky — a 9-year-old boy swept away that same day on his way to school, and a 74-year-old whose body was found Saturday inside a fully submerged vehicle in Nelson County, authorities said.
Also Saturday a 5-year-old died at a home in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a weather-related incident, according to police. No details were immediately provided.
Tornadoes earlier in the week destroyed entire neighborhoods and were responsible for at least seven of the deaths.
And interstate commerce is affected — the extreme flooding across a corridor that includes the major cargo hubs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis could lead to shipping and supply chain delays, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather.
The outburst comes at a time when nearly half of NWS forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates after Trump administration job cuts — twice that of just a decade ago.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Saturday that the Ohio River rose 5 feet in 24 hours and would continue to swell for days.
“We expect this to be one of the top 10 flooding events in Louisville history,” he said.
Flash flood threat looms over many states
Flash flood emergency and tornado warnings continued to be issued Saturday across Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky, with more heavy rains and damaging winds in the mix. All of eastern Kentucky was under a flood watch through Sunday morning.
Hundreds of Kentucky roads across the state were impassable because of floodwaters, downed trees, or mud and rock slides.
Downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky, reopened in the morning after floodwaters from the Little River receded, giving a much-needed reprieve, but still more rainfall was on its way, Mayor James R. Knight Jr. said.
“We got a little rain, but most of it went north of us,” Knight said. “Thank goodness on that. Gave us a little break.”
In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth, a town of 2,000 people in a bend of the rising Licking River. The warnings were similar to catastrophic flooding nearly 30 years ago when the river reached a record 50 feet, resulting in five deaths and 1,000 homes destroyed.
In Arkansas, weather officials pleaded with people to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary due to widespread flooding.
BNSF Railway confirmed that a railroad bridge in Mammoth Spring was washed out by floodwaters, causing the derailment of several cars. No injuries were reported, but there was no immediate estimate for when the bridge would reopen.
Why so much nasty weather?
Since Wednesday, more than a foot of rain has fallen in parts of Kentucky, and more than 8 inches in parts of Arkansas and Missouri, forecasters said Saturday.
Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear, and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf.
At least two reports of observed tornadoes were noted Friday evening in Missouri and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service. One, near Blytheville, Arkansas, lofted debris at least 25,000 feet high, according to NWS meteorologist Chelly Amin. The state’s emergency management office reported damage in 22 counties from tornadoes, wind, hail, and flash flooding.
In Dyersburg, Tennessee, dozens of people arrived Saturday at a storm shelter near a public school in the rain, clutching blankets, pillows, and other necessities.
Among them was George Manns, 77, who said he was in his apartment when he heard a tornado warning and decided to head to the shelter. Just days earlier the city was hit by a tornado that caused millions of dollars in damage.
“I grabbed all my stuff and came here,” said Mann, who brought a folding chair, two bags of toiletries, laptops, iPads, and medications. “I don’t leave them in my apartment in case my apartment is destroyed. I have to make sure I have them with me.”
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