Incoming storms to hit parts of central US reeling from historic flooding
A strengthening storm system will lash rain-soaked parts of the Ohio and Tennessee valley, where some communities are still reeling from a series of deadly storms that inundated cities and rural areas alike.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to ramp up through April 10, bringing hail and strong winds to an area of about 33 million people, from Illinois and Ohio to northern Alabama and Georgia, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
The storms could complicate ongoing recovery operations in hard-hit states Kentucky and Tennessee, where officials warned that rivers could still rise in some areas and trigger dangerous flooding. In some areas, where floodwaters have begun to recede, people are beginning to clean up after several months of rainfall fell over a few days.
On April 9, the Ohio River appeared to crest near downtown Louisville at just below the 37-foot mark – ranking as the eighth-highest crest on record for the location. Officials have warned communities downstream of the Kentucky and Ohio rivers that they should prepare for possible major flooding and evacuations.
"While many rivers in Kentucky have crested, we still need everyone to remain alert – especially along the Ohio River in Henderson, Owensboro and Paducah," said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. "Please move to higher ground if needed, listen to emergency management officials and be safe."
The recent storms led to at least 23 deaths across the central and eastern U.S., including at least 10 deaths in Tennessee alone.
Death toll rises to 6 in Kentucky, governor says
Beshear said at a news conference on April 10 that the death toll from the recent storms has risen to six.
Officials confirmed the death of a 66-year-old man in Campbell County, Beshear said. Others killed in the floods include a 74-year-old woman, a 27-year-old man and a 9-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters as he was walking to a school bus stop.
More than 70 counties across the state have declared states of emergency as of April 10, Beshear said. The danger remains in some areas as the Ohio River rises south of Louisville and other downstream activity prompts flooding along the banks of the Rolling Fork and Green rivers.
"We are still experiencing one of the most widespread flooding events that the commonwealth has ever seen," he said.
Storms to unload heavy rain, snow along Eastern Seaboard
After bringing showers and gusty winds to the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, the storm system will swing toward the Mid-Atlantic region, where it could disrupt travel and trigger flooding in urban areas beginning April 11.
"It looks like a general 1-2 inches of rain will fall on much of the Northeast with local amounts to near 3 inches," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek in an online forecast. "The heaviest amounts will extend roughly from Virginia to southern New England."
The system will also dump snow along the peaks and ridges of the Appalachian Mountains and areas of high elevation across northern New England, according to the National Weather Service.
To the South, forecasters said "strong thunderstorms" will be a concern from parts of southeast Virginia to northern Florida.