Recent days have seen severe rainfall and flooding assault multiple states in the eastern United States, affecting areas including West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Strong storms have triggered dangerous flooding, resulting in at least one fatality.
On Saturday, a 73-year-old man in Manchester, Kentucky tragically drowned due to accidental water submersion. The coroner of Clay County reported that around 5:30 pm, a call came in to 911 stating that the man’s vehicle stalled while driving through a flooded road. As he attempted to exit the vehicle, he was swept away by the water and tragically drowned.
The US National Weather Service issued warnings earlier on Saturday, highlighting the potential for severe flash floods in the Ohio and Tennessee River valleys, particularly in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. Approximately 20 million people are under some level of flood alert from Arkansas to Pennsylvania.
According to CNN, flash flood warnings were activated in multiple areas on Saturday night. Tornado warnings were issued several times in Mississippi, western Tennessee, and southeastern Arkansas, with overnight significant tornado warnings covering most areas of Mississippi and Alabama.
As of Saturday night, at least 410,000 residents in Virginia are facing flood threats, with over 19,000 households and businesses experiencing power outages in the state. Kentucky and Louisiana have over 16,000 households each without power.
Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia took to social media on Saturday afternoon, stating, “Virginia is being hit by heavy rain, with flash flooding occurring in southwest Virginia. Stay vigilant – do not attempt to battle the water, evacuate and seek help.”
Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky mentioned on Saturday afternoon that due to the flooding sweeping across Kentucky, Route 160 in Knott County had been closed due to landslides, some homes in Perry County were evacuated, and water levels in Harlan County had reached historic highs.
In Jackson City, severe flooding surrounded Panbowl Lake, prompting emergency evacuations in the vicinity, including a nursing home and hospital. Authorities are working tirelessly to ensure residents’ safety.
Beshear warned that the flood has spread throughout the state and urged residents to remain highly alert, monitoring weather alerts closely, and seeking higher ground if necessary for shelter.
The storm is expected to intensify further on Saturday and reach its peak strength overnight on Sunday, sweeping across most of the eastern regions. The snowstorm is likely to taper off by Monday. At the same time, the risk of widespread snowfall poses challenges for the northern Midwest and New England regions.
Most of the northeast is forecasted to experience a mix of rain and snow, with freezing rain, presenting extreme and challenging weather conditions for travel. On Saturday, around 70 million people from Nebraska to Maine are under winter weather advisories or warnings.
An announcement released by the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center stated, “Inland areas of the Northeast are most likely to see significant ice and snow accumulations due to freezing rain.” “Some areas may experience severe icing leading to power outages.”