Historic flash flooding is likely in the Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley has already begun continuing through Saturday as training storms accompany the severe storm threat this week.
Fast Facts:
- Rounds of storms could drop more than a foot of rain across Mississippi and Ohio valleys
- The same region devastated by a deadly tornado outbreak now faces ‘life-threatening’ flooding
- NWS Memphis: “This is not your average flood risk. Generational flooding with devastating impacts is possible.”
- Flood Watches cover northeastern Texas through central Ohio, stretching over 900 miles, including over 20 million Americans
NASHVILLE—Potentially historic flooding is underway in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, as repeated rounds of rain will pummel the region. More than a foot of rain could inundate the region by Sunday.
This is the same region that was devastated by a deadly tornado outbreak on Wednesday. A stalled front draped over the central U.S. will bring continuous rain and severe weather, causing a flood threat.
The National Weather Service offices in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Paducah, Kentucky, have highlighted a particularly dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding situation in the area extending from Arkansas to Kentucky.
Parts of Tennessee and Kentucky have already been inundated. Over 7 inches of rain has already fallen in Western Tennessee after periods of heavy rain began late Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a dire warning during his Thursday news conference.
“It’s the decisions about when to get out, about what to drive through—when to go stay with someone else, that can be the difference between life and death over these next couple of days.”
(FOX Weather)
NOAA’s storm prediction center issued a level 4 out of 4 Flash Flood Threat on Friday covering parts of Arkansas, Missouri and eastern Oklahoma.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, models have been indicating several-inch rainfall totals, especially across Arkansas into western Kentucky, where 24-hour totals in excess of 5-8 inches could be realized in some places on top of rain that has already fallen.
Flood Watches also remain in place through Sunday for southern Illinois, southern Indiana and Ohio.
Nashville and Memphis both recorded daily rain records on Thursday. Nashville more than doubled its daily rain record with 3.8 inches of rain, shattering the old record of 1.5 inches from 1977. This was the music city’s second-wettest April day on record.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee urged people to remain vigilant through the weekend and heed guidance from first responders and local officials.
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Life-threatening flash flooding threat extends through weekend
The NWS office in Memphis issued this statement on Friday morning, “Total rainfall amounts through Sunday could exceed 10 to 15-inch range along and north of I-40. This is not your average flood risk. Generational flooding with devastating impacts is possible.”
Flooding was underway Thursday morning in Nashville, Tennessee. In the early morning hours, cars were seen stuck in floodwaters in South Nashville.
The Nashville Fire Department performed more than a dozen water rescues on Tuesday. Due to flooding, numerous roads in the metro area were closed. By Thursday afternoon, creeks and rivers had already overflowed their banks in Memphis.
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Torrential rains have caused rivers and creeks to overflow in parts of West and Middle Tennessee, as those areas will receive even more rain in the days to come. FOX Weather Meteorologist Kiyana Lewis reports from Memphis, Tennessee.
Flood Watches have been issued from northeastern Texas through central Ohio, stretching over 900 miles and affecting over 20 million Americans. The level 4 out of 4 flash flood threat shifts east and expands Saturday to include the rain-fatigued areas of western Tennessee and western Kentucky.
(FOX Weather)
“Saturday is the day that concerns me the most right now,” said Meteorologist Ryan Husted with the National Weather Service in Nashville.
“Because we have time for our atmosphere to recharge, which means we have the potential for dangerous severe thunderstorms once again. In addition, our ground is saturated — that means any rain that falls will run off and it’s going to cause flooding. I’m very confident that Saturday is a dangerous day for flash flooding going into Saturday night.”
(FOX Weather)