Topline
At least seven people are dead as a severe storm system moves through the South and Midwest, bringing what the National Weather Service has called a “life-threatening, catastrophic, and potentially historic flash flood event” that will remain active into the weekend.
Mark Hardin takes a photograph of the Gordon-Hardy sign in front of the destroyed building after a … More
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reservedKey Facts
Five people in Tennessee, one person in Missouri and one person in Indiana are dead after the storm system produced flooding and tornadoes in the state, according to multiple outlets.
The storm will bring potentially life-threatening flash flooding and severe weather to parts of the Ohio Valley, the Middle Mississippi Valley, mid-South, northwest Texas, northern Louisiana and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service said a part of the storm is “quasi-stationary,” issuing a high risk of excessive rainfall warning on Thursday from southwestern Kentucky into western Tennessee and northeastern Arkansas, where the highest threat of multiple rounds of severe flash flooding exists after the regions were already battered with heavy rainfall Wednesday.
The storm system will be “a marathon—not a sprint,” according to the National Weather Service, which said a high risk of excessive rainfall will be in effect Saturday in the lower Ohio Valley and mid-South as a “catastrophic, potentially historic heavy rainfall and flash flood event” possibly producing 10 to 15 inches of rain or more through the weekend.
There is a threat of tornadoes, “some of which could be strong,” large hail and damaging winds from the mid-South west through the regions where Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas intersect, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
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What To Watch For
The National Weather Service’s flood watch in effect for portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia will remain active until Saturday.
Big Number
Nearly 140,000. That is how many people are without power Thursday afternoon across Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.
Tangent
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which manages the National Weather Service, has lost 1,000 employees to firings or resignations linked to President Donald Trump’s effort to slash the federal workforce, according to multiple outlets, and could lose another 1,000 soon. The loss of 2,000 employees would account for roughly 20% of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s total staff, where shortages have already led to the suspension of weather balloon launches. Weather balloons provide data needed for accurate forecasts and observations.
Crucial Quote
“The National Weather Service is a critical organization that we desperately need, and need to be strong, and should not be cutting employees from, because of events just like this,” Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said, according to The New York Times. “They are a lifeline.”
Key Background
The storm system’s slow speed has partially been created by a swath of rising heat in Southeast states, according to AccuWeather. The nearly stationary nature of the system is what has created some of the life-threatening weather conditions noted by the National Weather Service, as regions already slammed with rain, winds and tornadoes on Wednesday and Thursday are forecasted to see even more severe weather into the weekend. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in an April climate outlook published Tuesday there could be “well-above-average temperatures across the southern tier of the nation” this month alongside a wet April for parts of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys.
Further Reading
NOAA Said to Be Planning to Shrink Staff by 20 Percent (New York Times)
Read the full article here
