Devastating Floods and Tornadoes Pummel South and Midwest!

2025-04-06 06:00:41.442

Another round of torrential rain and flash flooding hit parts of the South and Midwest on Saturday, April 5, 2025, following days of severe storms and deadly tornadoes. Forecasters warned of rising rivers for days to come. Floodwaters inundated homes and vehicles, causing widespread damage and at least 16 weather-related deaths (10 in Tennessee alone). Two deaths occurred in Kentucky—a 9-year-old boy and a 74-year-old whose body was found in a submerged vehicle—and a 5-year-old died in a weather-related incident in Little Rock, Arkansas. Tornadoes earlier in the week destroyed neighborhoods and caused at least seven deaths. The flooding impacted interstate commerce, potentially causing shipping and supply chain delays in Louisville and Memphis. Louisville's Ohio River rose 5 feet in 24 hours. Flash flood emergencies and tornado warnings continued across Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Hundreds of Kentucky roads were impassable. A mandatory evacuation was ordered for Falmouth, Kentucky. In Arkansas, a railroad bridge washed out, causing a derailment. Over a foot of rain fell in parts of Kentucky, and over 8 inches in parts of Arkansas and Missouri. The severe weather was attributed to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear, and abundant moisture from the Gulf. Dozens of people sought shelter in Dyersburg, Tennessee, a city recently hit by a tornado.