At least 16 dead in flooding and tornadoes as storms slash from Texas to
Ohio
[April 07, 2025]
By BRUCE SCHREINER and OBED LAMY
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.
Overnight into Sunday morning there were new tornado warnings issued in
Alabama and Mississippi, along with flash flood warnings in several
counties in Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.
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 including 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.
There were 521 flights cancelled and more than 6,400 flights delayed
within the U.S. or coming into or leaving the country on Saturday,
according to FlightAware.com, which reported 74 cancellations and 478
delays of U.S. flights early Sunday.
Interstate commerce also could be 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 (about 1.5 meters) 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.
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Floodwaters inundate homes and vehicles in Shannon Hills, Ark.,
Saturday, April 5, 2025, as a second day of storms brought
widespread flooding to the region. (Colin Murphey/Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette via AP)
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
(15 meters), 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 (30.5 centimeters) has
fallen in parts of Kentucky, and more than 8 inches (20 centimeters)
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
(7.6 kilometers) 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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