As some rivers reached near-record levels and flooded towns across the already-saturated U.S. South and parts of the Midwest, days of relentless torrential rain and storms that claimed at least 18 lives exacerbated flooding.
While utilities cut off gas and electricity in an area spanning from Texas to Ohio, cities issued evacuation orders and rescue teams in inflatable boats visited homes in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Wendy Quire, general manager of the Brown Barrel restaurant in downtown Frankfort, Kentucky, the state capitol surrounded by the swollen Kentucky River, remarked, “As long as I’ve been alive — and I’m 52 — this is the worst I’ve ever seen it.”
“The rain just won’t stop,” Quire stated on Sunday. “It’s been nonstop for days and days.”
The river was predicted to peak above 49 feet on Monday, establishing a new record, prompting officials to reroute traffic and cut off utilities to municipal businesses, according to Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson. The flood wall system in the city is built to resist water levels of 51 feet.
Many people were afraid that the worst was yet to happen.
Kevin Gordon, a front desk employee at the Ashbrook Hotel in downtown Frankfort, declared, “This flooding is an act of God.” Affected residents could stay at the hotel for less.
Devastating effects of storms
Ten deaths in Tennessee were among the 18 recorded since the storms started on Wednesday. While walking to catch his school bus in Kentucky, a 9-year-old kid became stuck in floodwaters.
According to authorities, a 5-year-old boy in Arkansas passed away after a tree fell on his family’s house. While attempting to rescue individuals trapped in the storm, a 16-year-old volunteer firefighter from Missouri lost his life in a collision.
Numerous places across several states were predicted to reach a “major flood stage,” according to a warning issued by the National Weather Service on Sunday.
This may result in significant flooding of buildings, highways, bridges, and other vital infrastructure.
Emergency officials mandated the evacuation of the towns of Falmouth and Butler, which are located close to the bend of the swelling Licking River in north-central Kentucky.
Thirty years ago, the river rose to a record 50 feet (15 meters), destroying 1,000 homes and killing five people.
Following job cuts by the Trump administration, half of NWS forecast offices now have vacancy rates of roughly 20%, which is double what they were ten years ago.
Why is the weather so bad?
Strong winds, an unstable atmosphere, warm temperatures, and copious amounts of moisture coming from the Gulf were all blamed by forecasters for the severe weather.
According to the NWS, Saturday was the wettest day ever recorded in the city of Jonesboro in April, with 5.06 inches (almost 13 cm) of rain falling on the city.
According to the NWS, Memphis, Tennessee, received 14 inches (35 cm) of rain between Wednesday and Sunday.
When the Obion River flooded, the community of Rives, which had 200 residents and was located in northwest Tennessee, was nearly completely submerged.
After not hearing from his father at a home where water had reached the doorstep, Domanic Scott traveled to Rives to see how he was doing.
Dozens of people carrying blankets, pillows, and other essentials arrived at a storm shelter close to a public school in Dyersburg, Tennessee, over the weekend. Only a few days prior, a tornado struck the city, causing damage worth millions of dollars.
George Manns, 77, was one of them. He claimed to have been at his apartment when he heard the tornado warning and made the decision to go to the shelter.
This information has been sourced from AP News.
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