Vehicles make their way through a flooded road in Casey county, Kentucky, U.S., April 3, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from social media.
X@marindavannoy1 | X@marindavannoy1 Via Reuters
A week of powerful storms that swept through the South and Midwest, killing at least nine people, is still wreaking significant havoc in the region this weekend.
The weather-related death toll includes a man who was killed by flood waters in Nelson County, Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear reported Saturday morning.
Severe weather, including a “life-threatening, catastrophic, and potentially historic” flash flooding event will continue to impact the lower Ohio Valley through to the Ark-La-Tex region (where Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas join together) on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Around 37 million people are under Flood Alerts from Texas to western Pennsylvania.
“Deep moisture pooling along the front combined with impressive dynamics will set the stage for persistent rounds of intense thunderstorms capable of producing torrential downpours throughout the region,” the weather service said in an update Saturday morning. “This will especially be the case for the Ozarks and Mid-South, where the best moisture, instability, and forcing overlap.”
The same areas that were hit hard by storms throughout the week could receive “repeated rounds of heavy rainfall,” leading to historic rainfall accumulations over saturated soils, the weather service said.
Rainfall totals since Wednesday have surpassed 4 to 8 inches, with over 12 inches of rain reported in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. The highest rainfall report so far is 13.40 inches in Mayfield, Kentucky. Saturday is forecast to be the final day in this high impact flood event across the Mid-South and Mississippi Valley, with an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain possible by Sunday morning.
Strong winds and rain could be seen in Little Rock, Arkansas Saturday morning in a video shared on X. Winds as strong as 67 mph were reported in the city, according to the National Weather Service field office in Little Rock.
A train was derailed in Mammoth Spring State Park in northern Arkansas when part of the train bridge collapsed due to flooding, according to local officials. No injuries were reported.
“BNSF Railway is sending a fleet of equipment and workers to the park that are expected to arrive this afternoon to begin working on the track and bridge,” said Katie Fite, chief of communications for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism.
A general view of a flooded area in West Plains, Missouri, U.S., April 4, 2025, in this screengrab taken from a from social media video.
Erik Martin | Erik Martin Via Reuters
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Saturday that President Donald Trump approved the state’s request for an Emergency Declaration to assist in its response to ongoing storms since Wednesday.
The Kentucky Derby Festival‘s kickoff airshow event, Thunder Over Louisville, was canceled due to floods. The event was originally planned for April 12.
“This weather event and flooding is like nothing we’ve faced before — especially this close to Thunder,” Kentucky Derby Festival President Matt Gibson said in a statement. “While we’d love to bring everyone together on Saturday to watch one of the best air shows and fireworks shows in the country — we know it’s not logistically possible and would not be safe to do so.”
Some areas may see anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of rain, which will likely lead rivers to overflow and cause major flooding across the Ozarks, portions of the lower Ohio Valley and lower to middle Mississippi Valleys, according to the weather service. A high risk (around 70%) of excessive rainfall is in effect through Saturday.
Flash flood warnings have been issued for parts of Tennessee and Arkansas until 3:30 p.m. C.T., including Nashville and Blytheville.
Severe weather will also take aim at the Ark-La-Tex region to the Ohio Valley on Saturday before moving to the southern Appalachians and Southeast on Sunday. Impacts include damaging winds, large hail and several tornadoes, according to the weather service.
A Tornado Watch is in effect until 7 p.m. C.T. from east Texas to Tennessee, including Shreveport, Little Rock and Memphis. Around 25 million people remain at risk for severe thunderstorms Saturday in this region, impacting the cities of Memphis, Shreveport, Houston, Nashville and New Orleans.
“As a result, the Storm Prediction Center maintains an Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) from eastern Texas to western Tennessee,” the weather service said. “A broader Slight Risk is in place from Texas through the Lower Ohio Valley.”
In Tennessee, over 10 inches of rain are forecast for the Memphis area, and around Nashville, 70 mph winds, large hail and tornadoes are possible, the weather service said.
Texarkana, Texas, reported about 7 inches of rain in the last 24 hours, which led to significant flooding on the roads, according to the Texarkana Police Department.
“Unfortunately, the risk of major river flooding will likely continue into early next week, long after the last drop of rain has fallen,” the weather service said.
This line of storms will move late Saturday, taking the heaviest rainfall eastward into portions of the Southeast on Sunday, according to the weather service. The front will still be capable of producing thunderstorms and flooding in the Southeast, but the risk of excessive rainfall will downgrade to a slight risk (around 15%) Sunday, and again to a marginal risk (at least 5%) by Monday.
Over 200,000 utility customers were without power Saturday afternoon, including more than 83,000 in Arkansas, 59,000 in Michigan, 34,000 in Texas and 26,000 in Oklahoma, according to PowerOutage.US.
