Torrential rain and flash flooding combined Saturday to devastate large parts of the South and Midwest already heavily waterlogged by days of severe storms that also delivered deadly tornadoes alongside widespread power outages.
At least 16 people died in the wake of the wild weather event with the death toll expected to rise.
Forecasters warned rivers in some places would continue to rise for days with no end in sight.
AP reports 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.
A truck drives through floodwater on April 05, 2025 in Cairo, Illinois. Between 6 and 9 inches of rain have fallen in the area around southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky, causing flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. (Scott Olson/Getty)
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.
On Sunday at 2:53 a.m. the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch in effect until 10 a.m. for Choctaw, Clarke, Monroe, Washington and Wilcox counties.
