What to know about severe weather today
- At least seven people are known to have died — five in Tennessee, one in Indiana and one in Missouri — and 13 have been injured as severe weather caused devastation across a huge swath of the country from the Midwest to the mid-South.
- There are widespread reports of destroyed buildings, toppled vehicles and downed trees, and more than 247,000 energy customers across the country are without power.
- The National Weather Service warned that “life-threatening, catastrophic and potentially historic” flash flooding could occur across the lower Ohio Valley and the mid-South.
- Forecasters warn that communities in areas affected by flooding “should prepare for possible long duration and severe disruptions to daily life,” with 10 to 15 inches of rain expected through the weekend.
- Severe weather, including tornadoes and large hail, is expected throughout the Ozarks, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
Flooding could continue for days after rain stops
An additional 8 inches of rain — on top of the 1 to 4 inches already received — could fall in western Kentucky and Missouri through Saturday, causing dangerous and life-threatening flooding, forecasters said.
There is “severe weather potential each day and historic flooding expected,” the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, said tonight.
In addition to flooding from the rain, many rivers are also forecast to flood.
“These amounts will cause flooding of areas that do not normally flood, and that may have never flooded before,” the weather service said.
And when the rain stops Saturday night, “flooding will continue, possibly for many days or longer,” it said.
Tennessee governor: Too early to know how many may have died
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said today it’s possible that there are more deaths in his state from the tornadoes and other severe weather than the five that have been confirmed.
“We know that there are confirmations of deaths cross the state,” he said after he toured tornado damage. “But we also know that there are potential other deaths that have not been confirmed.”
“It’s too early to know what the confirmed loss of life is, but there are multiple deaths across the state,” he said.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said said today there have been five weather-related deaths.
Tennessee man who was riding out storm in tub says he was thrown from house
Matt Vandevander took cover in his bathtub when a tornado hit his home in Tennessee. He escaped the “crazy experience” with minor injuries.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vows Michigan will 'get through this'
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today met with first responders and northern Michigan residents who have been battered by a series of late season ice storms.
"With thousands of Michiganders still without heat, fuel, and power, we’re continuing our all-hands-on-deck approach to help folks impacted by the historic storms,” said Whitmer, a possible 2028 presidential candidate. "We’ll continue coordinating closely with local communities to clear roads, keep people safe, and help get the power back on. Michiganders are strong, and we’ll get through this together.”
She briefed about rescue efforts in Emmet County, served food at a shelter in Otsego County and helped stock shelves at a relief center in Alpena County.
6 hurt, at least 60 homes damaged in Mississippi
Six people were hurt in severe weather in Mississippi, and at least 60 homes have been damaged, the state Emergency Management Agency said as assessments continued today.
No deaths were reported in Mississippi, the Emergency Management Agency said.
Forty homes were damaged in Marshall County, which is in the northern part of the state across the border from Memphis, Tennessee, the agency said.
Homes were also damages in Tate, Tippah and Bolivar counties, the Emergency Management Agency said. Damage assessments were ongoing in Benton County.
Even after tornado threat passes, flooding will expand, Tennessee governor says
As residents of Tennessee began to clean up damage from tornadoes that struck the area of Selmer and other parts of the state, Gov. Bill Lee warned that heavy rain will make matter worse.
“One thing that’s important to note is: It isn’t over. There’s continued heavy rain that’s expected, with potential tornadoes over the next day or two,” Lee told reporters after he toured the damage in Selmer.
The sheriff’s office in Humphreys County posted photos of overflowing rivers and floods and warned “turn around don’t drown!” in all capital letters.
The National Weather Service for Memphis said rainfall totals for areas north of Interstate 40 could approach 15 inches through Sunday.
“While the tornado activity may subside over the next 24 hours, then the flooding begins — or it expands,” Lee said. “We already have widespread flooding across the state, but the river flooding will clearly follow.”
Lee called the damage in Selmer, hit last night by an EF3 tornado with estimated peak winds of 160 mph, devastating.
"It’s hard to take in. Walking through an apartment complex, overturned cars, people’s belongings scattered throughout the fields, the roofs off of the buildings," he said. "We know that there was loss of life there. It is total devastation."
Kentucky governor tells residents: Your decisions mean life and death
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear today warned that the severe weather is not over and that decisions Kentuckians make in the next few days could have deadly consequences.
“We’ve got to make good decisions over these next couple of days,” Beshear said at a news conference.
“If you see high water, turn around. Don’t drive at night when higher waters are harder to see,” he also warned on X. “We know the dangers of flooding all too well. Let’s do what we can to keep everyone safe.”
The western part of Kentucky, among other states, was covered with flood watches this afternoon.
The region has had 1 to 4 inches of rain already, and 5 to 9 inches more could fall through Sunday, the National Weather Service in Paducah said.
“A particularly dangerous flooding and flash flooding situation is expected,” the agency warned. A flash flood watch was in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday.
In February, Kentucky was hit by heavy rains that killed 10 people, the weather service said in a report.
More than 38 million under flood watches or warnings
Late this afternoon, 33.7 million people were under flood watches and 4.6 million more were under flood warnings as a spring storm brought rain that could cause a historic weather event, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service warned of a “life-threatening, catastrophic, and potentially historic flash flood event.”
The flash flood watches covered a region from Oklahoma to Ohio and West Virginia.
Tornado that hit Lake City, Arkansas, area had 150-mph winds
The huge tornado that ripped through the areas of Lake City and Bay in Arkansas yesterday was an EF3 with 150 mph winds, the National Weather Service said.
Video posted to social media showed a huge funnel cloud in the region in southeastern Arkansas.
Six people were injured in the severe weather in Lake City, a town of around 2,300, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management said.
A more complete storm survey about the effects of the tornado was suspended today because of the continued threat of weather, the weather service said.
A tornado in Selmer, Tennessee, was an EF3 with an estimated peak wind of 160 mph, the agency said.
Southeast Oklahoma, northeast Texas and Arkansas bracing for the worst
Residents of southeast Oklahoma, northeast Texas and much of Arkansas were warned about tornadoes and large hail that could tear through the region tomorrow, officials said.
Clusters of "severe storms" will be "capable of producing several strong-intense tornadoes, along with very large hail and wind damage Friday afternoon/evening" in that region, according to the National Weather Service.