LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The South and Midwest are grappling with the aftermath of severe storms, tornadoes, and floods that have tragically resulted in over a dozen fatalities. Forecasters are warning of potential additional flooding and tornadoes in the coming days.
A 2.3 million-populated area spanning from northeast Texas, through Arkansas, and into southeast Missouri has been impacted by intense thunderstorms.
What has happened?
In Kentucky, floodwaters and mudslides led to the closure of over 500 roads by Sunday. Tragically, two individuals lost their lives, including a 9-year-old boy who was swept away while walking to his school bus stop.
The downtown area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, a city with a population of 31,000 located 72 miles (116 kilometers) northwest of Nashville, Tennessee, was inundated.
The initial wave of storms, which occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, resulted in at least five deaths in Tennessee, and one each in Missouri and Indiana.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee described the devastation in his state as “enormous” and noted that due to ongoing search efforts, it was too early to ascertain whether further fatalities had occurred.
Lake City in eastern Arkansas experienced significant destruction, with homes leveled and vehicles overturned and thrown into trees.
Since the start of the tornado outbreak early Wednesday, the National Weather Service has issued more than 300 tornado warnings. Overnight, new warnings were issued in Alabama and Mississippi, alongside flash flood warnings in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The number of tornado warnings has surpassed those issued during the deadly outbreak last month in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and other states.
It’s important to note that not all tornado warnings result in an actual tornado, and at this stage, it remains uncertain how many tornadoes were produced by the current outbreak.
The severe weather has also disrupted travel.
FlightAware.com reports that hundreds of flights have been canceled and more than 6,400 flights have been delayed. Early Sunday, there were 74 cancellations and 478 delays of U.S. flights. Road closures attributed to flooding were also reported in Kentucky and southern Illinois, among other locations.
These severe weather events coincide with a period when nearly half of the National Weather Service’s forecast offices are experiencing 20% vacancy rates, which is double the rate of a decade ago, according to data obtained by The Associated Press.
What’s causing this wave of storms?
Forecasters have attributed the severe weather to a combination of factors, including warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear, and an abundance of moisture originating from the Gulf.
The National Weather Service characterized the prolonged period of heavy rainfall, which could result in over a foot (30 centimeters) of rain over a four-day span, as “an event that happens once in a generation to once in a lifetime.”
What’s next?
AccuWeather, a private forecasting company, has indicated that northeastern Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and northwestern Tennessee should prepare for a catastrophic risk of flash flooding.
AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter stated that “This is a rare and dangerous atmospheric setup.”
Forecasters have also cautioned about significant disruptions to shipping and supply chains. For instance, shipping giant FedEx has a major facility located in the affected area, specifically in Memphis, Tennessee. Furthermore, barge transportation on the lower Mississippi River could also be impacted.
Water rescue teams and sandbags are being deployed across the region in preparation for flooding, and authorities are urging the public to take the threat of rising water seriously and to avoid driving through flooded areas.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear reported that flooding has reached record levels in numerous communities.
He stated on social media platform X on Sunday that “Kentuckians and communities have been affected across the state, and teams are working around the clock to support them.”
—Associated Press writers George Walker IV in Selmer, Tennessee; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, Seth Borenstein in Washington; Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky; and Sophia Tareen in Chicago, contributed.