Deadly Storms Bring Flooding and Destruction to Central US

Deadly storms and flooding rains left a path of destruction across 14 states in the U.S. South and Midwest, knocking out power to more than 400,000 customers.

Record rain fell in Memphis and eastern Missouri overnight and more is expected through the weekend. The worst damage was in the central Mississippi River Valley and into the Midwest, where as many as 21 tornadoes were reported, according to the US Storm Prediction Center. Hail damaged homes and businesses while winds toppled trees and power lines. At least three people were killed, the Associated Press reported.

“The system isn’t really moving,” said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center. While the threat of tornadoes and thunderstorms lingers, “the biggest hazard is going to be the flooding — both river flooding and flash flooding.”

Governors in Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee have declared emergencies, while Missouri mobilized its National Guard units to help with the cleanup. At least 15 rivers forecast to reach major flood stage and another 84 cresting at moderate levels, the U.S. National Weather Service said. An enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms will continue – focused primarily on Arkansas – for the next three days.

The stalled weather front may shift a little from west to east, though there will be a lot of overlap where the heaviest rains fall and storms strike through Saturday, Chenard said. Tennessee is expecting as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain, the state said. Some areas could approach their all-time rainiest four days, Chenard said.

By Sunday, the worst of the weather will start moving east into Alabama, Georgia and parts of Florida, where the Storm Prediction Center has raised a severe weather risk alert.