AccuWeather Provides Most Advance Notice, Best Impact Descriptions, Earliest and Most Accurate Warnings for Historic Flooding Compared to All Other Known Sources
AccuWeather customers and users were once again best prepared for life-threatening flash flooding. AccuWeather Storm Warning meteorologists exclusively issued numerous lifesaving SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warnings with far more advance notice compared to the government’s NWS and all other known sources.
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Storm Chaser Aaron Rigsby updates the latest impacts of the flooding that has devastated Kentucky over the weekend as of April 7. Flooding is expected to continue to linger during recovery efforts.
Beginning on April 2, historic flooding -- caused by over a foot of rain in many places -- impacted parts of the Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee valleys. AccuWeather customers were best prepared for the widespread, damaging and in some places catastrophic flooding. AccuWeather provided:
• The most advance notice of any known sources about the high potential for major flooding in parts of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys.
• The most accurate and more timely flood warnings, including far more advance notice compared to the government’s National Weather Service (NWS) and all other known sources.
• The best communication of the forecast and impacts through specific, detailed language across AccuWeather forecast platforms.
AccuWeather provided more accurate forecasts and warnings, with proven Superior Accuracy™, far ahead of the event to the minutes that mattered most when flash flooding was imminent. AccuWeather’s forecasts were once again more valuable and provided more impactful descriptions to people, communities and businesses, helping them better prepare and stay safer.
AccuWeather customers and users were once again best prepared for life-threatening flash flooding.
• AccuWeather Storm Warning meteorologists exclusively issued numerous lifesaving SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warnings with far more advance notice compared to the government’s NWS and all other known sources.
• AccuWeather’s more advance warnings benefited AccuWeather For Business SkyGuard® customers and customers of the AccuWeather Premium+ feature in the AccuWeather app. Some of the many such examples include:
In Carroll County, Tennessee
• AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warning, which exclusively provided four hours and thirty-eight minutes of advance notice BEFORE there were reports of “numerous roadways flooded, closed and or washed out throughout Carroll County” at 10:28 a.m. on April 5, 2025.
• As has been the case with many other situations, AccuWeather was the ONLY known source to provide advance notice of the widespread flash flooding, which had major impacts across the county. The NWS and all other known sources issued a flash flood warning for this area only AFTER the widespread flash flooding had been reported 11 minutes earlier.
In Buckeye, Kentucky
• AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warning, which exclusively provided five hours and 17 minutes of advance notice BEFORE there was a report of “social media video shows rushing water over the bridge on Dry Branch Road” at 5:40 p.m. on April 3, 2025.
• As has been the case with many other situations, AccuWeather was the ONLY known source to provide advance notice of the extent of flash flooding, which had major impacts on roadways.
• The NWS and all other known sources issued a flash flood warning for this area only AFTER the widespread flash flooding had been reported one hour and 12 minutes earlier.
In Middletown, Kentucky, 10 miles east of Louisville
• AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warning, which exclusively provided two hours and 28 minutes of advance notice BEFORE there was a report of “street/road flooding, street/road closed; vehicles stranded” at 1:56 p.m. on April 4, 2025.
• The NWS and all other known sources only had a flood warning in effect at the time this report was received, which did not appropriately convey the urgency of the life-threatening flooding.
In Salem, Arkansas
• AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warning for Salem, Arkansas, on April 4, 2025, and continued to monitor the changing situation closely.
• The NWS and all other known sources also issued a flash flood warning for Salem, Arkansas, on April 4, 2025, but allowed the flash flood warning to expire at 9:45 p.m. A report of “Widespread flooding in Salem. Water is starting to get into some businesses.” came out at 10:04 p.m. This is 19 minutes after the NWS and all other known sources allowed their flash flood warning to expire. The SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warning kept people best prepared for the continuation or worsening of dangerous flooding while people relying only on the NWS and other known sources may have had a false sense of security.
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In Anderson County, Kentucky
• AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warning, which exclusively provided 50 minutes of advance notice BEFORE there was a report of a “water rescue” in Anderson County, compared to only nine minutes of advance notice provided by the NWS and all other known sources.
In Glasgow, Kentucky
• AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard® Flash Flood Warning, which exclusively provided 61 minutes of advance notice BEFORE there was a report of “multiple roads closed due to flooding” in Glasgow, compared to only 20 minutes of advance notice provided by the NWS and all other known sources.
On Jan. 15, 2025, nearly three months in advance, AccuWeather’s Expert Long-Range Team was the only known source to predict that the zone from Ohio southwestward to Arkansas would experience a higher-than-average flood risk during the spring. This exclusive insight was provided to AccuWeather customers, providing them with awareness of the heightened risk.
Three days prior to the NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) and other known sources, AccuWeather was first to forecast its highest risk of flooding, providing an extra three days for customers to prepare.
• On March 29, 2025, AccuWeather issued a Storm Potential Outlook (SPO) to customers that correctly predicted a “high potential” for major flooding from April 3 – April 6 from Louisville, Kentucky, to Paducah, Kentucky.
• AccuWeather specifically forecast “damages to homes and businesses due to flash flooding” and “disruption to logistical operations and extended transportation delays due to road/rail washouts.”
• At the same time, other sources, including the NWS’ Weather Prediction Center did not yet provide an “excessive rainfall forecast.”
• AccuWeather’s use of its highest risk category was used three days before the NWS used their highest risk category, giving AccuWeather customers three extra days of advance notice to best prepare for the historic, catastrophic flooding.
AccuWeather was the only known source to use the following language across its forecast platforms including local city forecasts in the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, notifying users of the upcoming high-impact weather.
• "Frequent storms may bring significant flooding, making travel hazardous."
• "Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding can threaten later this week."
• "Risk of major flooding; creating dangerous travel; avoid rapidly rising water."
AccuWeather forecasts for Little Rock, Arkansas, were more detailed, accurate and specified impacts better than other sources, including the NWS. On March 31, AccuWeather’s Little Rock forecast included language such as:
• "Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding can threaten later this week."
• "Risk of life-threatening flooding; there can also be damaging wind and an isolated tornado."
• "Major flooding is likely, and some roads will be impassable."
• "Repeated storms can bring the risk of significant flooding, creating dangerous travel."
At the same time, the NWS forecast stated:
• "Showers and possibly a thunderstorm" for multiple forecast time periods.
• "Some storms could produce heavy rainfall."
• "Several inches of rain that may increase flash and river flood threat."
In locations that were forecast to be hardest hit by the flooding, AccuWeather was the only known source to specifically mention in their forecasts the flood threat could linger once the rain had stopped.
• On April 1, well before the flooding, AccuWeather’s forecast for Paducah, Kentucky, for April 6 stated, "mostly cloudy; extreme flooding will continue; some roads may still be impassable." No other known source included this level of detail.
More than 100 times every year, AccuWeather has been documented as providing more accurate, more advanced notifications of significant and extreme weather events that impact businesses and threaten the health, welfare and lives of individuals. AccuWeather has proven to be the most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings.
These are additional examples of the many weather events where AccuWeather provided superior forecasts and impact descriptions to people, communities and businesses, helping them better prepare and stay safe.
Contact AccuWeather today to learn how AccuWeather's SkyGuard® Severe Weather Warnings can help your business better prepare for tornadoes and all severe weather threats.
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