A relentless barrage of tornadoes and historic flash flooding across several states has now claimed at least 16 lives, according to state and local officials.
The latest death occurred near Boston, Kentucky, where a 74-year-old driver was found dead Saturday morning in their vehicle after a water rescue was initiated. Authorities have not yet identified the victim. At least 10 of the total deaths occurred in Tennessee, state officials reported. On Thursday, President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration for all 95 counties in Tennessee, initiating FEMA’s disaster relief efforts.
Severe weather continued to pummel large parts of the U.S. Friday night, with life-threatening flooding and dangerous storms impacting the heartland for the third consecutive night. Saturday was expected to be just as severe, with concerns of heavy rainfall not seen in generations.
In southeastern Missouri and parts of northeastern Texas and southwestern Arkansas, torrential rain caused Flash Flood Emergencies, the National Weather Service’s most severe flood warning. Cape Girardeau and Van Buren, Missouri, were heavily impacted by the flash flooding, with Cape Girardeau reporting more than 3 inches of rain in just 90 minutes, resulting in at least 10 roads being covered in water and ongoing rescues.
Texarkana, Texas, also faced flash flooding with 2-4 inches of rain, and water rescues were underway. Police in Texarkana urged residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
Hopkinsville, Kentucky, was also hit hard, with 60% of the downtown area submerged, leading to significant damage. Local resident Paul Garrett said, “It’s destroyed. I can’t salvage anything out of it. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it.”
As of Saturday afternoon, approximately 120,000 people were without power in Arkansas.
In addition to the historic flooding, numerous Tornado Warnings were issued across the Lower Mississippi Valley and northeastern Texas, where severe thunderstorms and supercells caused significant damage, especially in Clarksville, Texas. A bottling plant in Hawkins, Texas, was also damaged by a tornado, but no injuries were reported.
A 9-year-old boy in Frankfort, Kentucky, was killed on Friday when he was swept away by floodwaters on his way to school.
The severe weather threat continues through the weekend, with repeating rounds of rain expected to bring historic rainfall amounts to the lower Ohio Valley, mid-South, and Ozarks. Some areas may see up to 20 inches of rain, with rainfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour, leading to rapid flash flooding.
Since Monday, rainfall totals have reached over 9 inches in Lewisburg, Kentucky, and nearly 7 inches in Bowling Green, Memphis, and Nashville.
