At least 17 people have died across multiple states as severe storms and catastrophic flooding continue to devastate the US South and Midwest. Tennessee has reported 10 deaths, Kentucky and Missouri each confirmed two fatalities, while Arkansas, Indiana, and Mississippi each reported one death. Among the casualties was a 9-year-old boy in Kentucky who was swept away by floodwaters while walking to his school bus stop, and a 57-year-old Missouri man who drowned after his vehicle was swept away.
“Generational” Flooding Event
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency as more than 500 roads closed due to what officials call a “generational” flooding event. “Rivers have not yet crested, so we still have a day — if not more — of rising waters,” Beshear warned. The National Weather Service reported staggering rainfall totals across the region, with Mayfield, Kentucky receiving 13.4 inches, Symsonia, Kentucky measuring 12.34 inches, and Memphis, Tennessee recording 6.91 inches.
Infrastructure and Power Impacts
The flooding has caused significant infrastructure damage across multiple states. In Arkansas, rising waters destroyed a railroad bridge, causing a train derailment. More than 255,000 customers lost power across five states, with Arkansas (99,469) and Tennessee (70,797) experiencing the most outages. Interstate commerce has been affected as well, with the flooding across corridors that include major cargo hubs in Louisville and Memphis likely to cause shipping delays.
Cities Under Water
Major cities across the region are facing historic flooding levels. In Louisville, Mayor Craig Greenberg reported the Ohio River rose 5 feet in just 24 hours, adding “We expect this to be one of the top 10 flooding events in Louisville history.” Officials in Frankfort, Kentucky’s capital, announced that state offices would remain closed Monday as water supply became limited and home evacuations continued. The Memphis metro area was placed under a Flash Flood Emergency as neighborhoods were inundated, with cars trapped and partially submerged.
Ongoing Threats and Evacuations
The crisis has been compounded by tornado activity across the region. Tornado warnings stretched across Alabama and Mississippi with confirmed tornadoes in several locations including New Albany, Blue Springs, and near Oxford, Mississippi. Emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth, a town of 2,000 people in north-central Kentucky located 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, resulting in five deaths and 1,000 homes destroyed.
Recovery and Outlook
The multiday storm system is expected to gradually weaken as it moves eastward toward Georgia and the Carolinas, but the flooding threat will remain elevated for days. Louisville’s annual “Thunder Over Louisville” event that kicks off the Kentucky Derby Festival has been canceled as officials don’t expect floodwaters to recede in time for the April 12 event. Climate experts note that climate change is bringing heavier rainfall and related flood risks to most parts of the US, with the upper Midwest and Ohio River Valley among the regions most affected.