At least 16 people have died in what the National Weather Service (NWS) has called “catastrophic flooding” that hit the South and Midwest.
The flooding came with storms caused by an atmospheric river that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast would hit the region on Wednesday.
What To Know
The 16 weather-related deaths is the latest toll, as of Sunday, according to The Associated Press.
These include a 57-year-old man who died on Friday evening after he got out of a car that washed off a road in Plains, Missouri, and a 9-year-old boy and a 64-year-old who died in flooding in Kentucky. Another 5-year-old boy died in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Saturday.
An NWS map shows multiple flood warnings and advisories. A warning is when “the hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening” and an advisory is used when “flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning.”
“However, it may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, it could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property,” the NWS adds.
NWS
There are also flash flood watches and warnings, along with high surf warnings in place.
Dozens of locations across multiple states were expected to reach “major flood stage,” which is when “extensive flooding of structures, main roadways and other critical infrastructure may occur.”
“Schools, hospitals, police stations, fire stations, residences, businesses, and roadways may become flooded,” the NWS adds. “Evacuations may be necessary. Significant disruptions to daily life.”
What People Are Saying
The NWS said in its short-range public discussion: “After several days of extreme rainfall and devastating flooding across parts of the Ohio Valley, Mid-South, middle and lower Mississippi Valleys, the threat for significant heavy rainfall and flash flooding shifts eastward into the Appalachians and Southeast on Sunday.”
Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg said on Saturday: “We expect this to be one of the top 10 flooding events in Louisville history.”
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee said on Saturday, after President Donald Trump approved the state’s emergency funding request: ” Arkansas is already experiencing flooding after last night’s rainfall and of particular concern are the Buffalo River, Spring River, Little Red River, Cache River, Black River, Saline River, Ouachita River, Eleven Point River, Mississippi River, Petit Jean River, Little River, and White River.
“With these additional federal resources, Arkansas will have the capacity to respond to this flooding more effectively, shore up property and roadways, and save lives,” she added.
What Happens Next
The risk of severe weather and flooding is expected to shift eastward on Monday, the NWS said, “targeting parts of the southern mid-Atlantic and Southeast as we round out the weekend and start the new work week.”
“Moisture, instability, and wind shear along and ahead of the eastward advancing cold front will support a broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms across the region, with the most severe storms capable of producing damaging wind gusts and even a few tornadoes,” it added.