More than 6 inches of rain is expected to fall across 11 states from Wednesday to Monday. MUST CREDIT: Ben Noll/The Washington Post/Data source: ECMWF
A destructive and relentless storm event continues to fuel threats of flash floods and tornadoes, as thunderstorms and heavy rains continue to strike days after the system began battering the Mid-South and parts of the Mississippi Valley.
Much of the devastation thus far has focused on areas from Arkansas to Kentucky, killing at least eight people in four states across the region. At least five people have died in Tennessee, as well as one person in Missouri, one in Indiana and one in Kentucky.
The storms have brought persistent rounds of rains. Localized rain totals could exceed a foot, and near 15 inches in some areas, by the time the precipitation draws to a close Sunday night.
The National Weather Service continues to warn of a "particularly dangerous and life-threatening” situation, with major flooding expected to begin again late Saturday afternoon and continue through Sunday morning. Flood watches span from northern Texas to the shores of Lake Erie near Cleveland.
As of early Saturday, the Dallas-Fort Worth area was under a flash flood warning, as was Little Rock and parts of the metropolitan area around Jackson, Tennessee.
A high risk of flash flooding and excessive rainfall has been issued around a swath of the Mississippi Valley for Saturday. It includes Little Rock, Hot Springs and Jonesboro in Arkansas, Paducah in Kentucky, and Cape Girardeau in Mississippi.
Cape Girardeau, which has seen 7.78 inches of rain in the past 72 hours, was also threatened by a tornado on Friday night. The twister appeared on traffic cameras as flickers of lightning illuminated its trunk-like funnel.
Until the storm wanes, flooding will be widespread as more waves of moisture continue to pass repeatedly over the beleaguered and already saturated region.
In Arkansas, more than 6 inches have fallen so far in Little Rock, with 4 to 7 more inches expected; in Hot Springs, more than 8.6 inches have fallen, with up to 7 more inches expected. Another nearly 5 inches have fallen in Jonesboro, with up to 7 more inches expected there, too.
In western Kentucky, Mayfield has seen nearly 10.5 inches, with 4 to 7 more inches expected; nearly 4.5 inches have fallen in Paducah, with 4 to 7 more inches expected; and in Bowling Green, more than 7 inches have fallen, with up to 6 more inches expected.
In Tennessee, Memphis has experienced nearly 7 inches of rainfall, with 4 to 7 more inches expected; Jackson has seen more than 8 inches of rainfall, with up to 5 more inches expected; and more than 6 inches have fallen in Clarksville, with up to 4 more inches possible.
The heavy rains will fall atop already-sodden soils, leading to rapid runoff and rises in swollen creeks and streams. Widespread hazardous flooding is likely.
Due to the magnitude of the rainfall, some places that haven’t flooded in a generation may experience inundation.
The rains will finally wind down Sunday night into Monday as the instigating system pushes off to the East Coast.
