AccuWeather is wrapping up live coverage of the deadly storms and flooding in the central United States, which has claimed the lives of seven people and left several towns submerged by floodwaters. For additional coverage, stream AccuWeather NOW anytime on our website. Stay up to date on the latest weather in your area by downloading the AccuWeather mobile app and visiting AccuWeather.com. And keep an eye on weather news and forecasts by following AccuWeather on:
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Selmer, Tennessee, was devastated by an EF3 tornado that roared through on Wednesday, and homeowners are just now able to return to their properties in part due to the weather.
“The weather was terrible here yesterday, just onslaught of torrential rain,” AccuWeather National Reporter Leslie Hudson said. “The crews really have a tall order trying to get into some of these really hard-hit areas.” Damage assessments are still underway, but multiple buildings were destroyed, including an apartment complex which had its roof ripped apart. Watch Hudson’s full report from Selmer below:
AccuWeather’s Leslie Hudson provided a live report of the damage in Selmer, Tennessee, caused by the EF3 tornado that impacted the area on April 3.
The ongoing flooding in Kentucky has turned deadly, with more flooding expected into the weekend. “This morning in Frankfort, a child died after being swept away by floodwaters. My heart breaks for this family,” Kentucky. Gov. Andy Beshear said. “We need everyone to understand that all water poses a risk right now. Let’s do everything possible to keep our loved ones safe.” This is the seventh weather-related fatality across the region since thunderstorms first erupted on Wednesday.
Around 200 miles to the southwest, Hopkinsville Kentucky is underwater, even though no rain was falling in the city early Friday afternoon. “The main arteries through Hopkinsville are probably 2 feet under water,” Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam told The Associated Press. “Our office is actually in the middle of it and we were here before the water rose. So there’s only one way we could get out.”
Some areas could remain underwater into next week due to additional rounds of rain in the forecast through the weekend.
Volatile weather will erupt on Friday afternoon with severe thunderstorms in the forecast from northeast Texas into southern Indiana, with hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes all possible amid the latest round of storms. However, Storm Chaser Aaron Jayjack is becoming more worried about the rain and downpours. “The biggest concern in my opinion is going to be that flooding threat that is still to unfold,” Jayjack said while reporting from Texarkana, Texas, on Friday morning. “I was driving down across the Mississippi River [Thursday] and the flooding problems have already begun there,” he said, adding that fields and farmlands near the river are starting to fill with water.
Extreme storm chaser Aaron Jayjack was live on the AccuWeather Network on April 4 to discuss the severe weather threat.
The combination of severe weather and flash flooding can lead to an even more dangerous situation when a dangerous thunderstorm approaches. “Residents should be mindful of taking shelter in basements and underground storm shelters, as they may become flooded,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said. “It is recommended to review severe weather action plans ahead of this event and have a backup plan if the traditional shelter location is inaccessible due to flooding.”
The weather radar on Friday morning didn’t appear much different than it did 24 hours prior, as rain and thunderstorms persisted over the same areas from Oklahoma through Kentucky. Multiple flash flood warnings are in effect across Kentucky, the site of some of the heaviest rainfall so far, with 8 to 12 inches falling across a broad area over the past two days. This includes 9.96 inches in Bowling Green, well above the 6.27 inches that typically falls in the city throughout all of April, according to historical averages.
AccuWeather has upgraded its flood forecast to “catastrophic” for southeastern Missouri, western Kentucky, northwestern Tennessee, and northeastern Arkansas, where the heaviest rain will fall through the weekend. “This is the same corridor where a historic and fatal flooding event occurred in mid-February,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said. Between 12 and 18 inches of rain is expected in this area, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 21 inches. This is on par with the historical average rainfall totals in Paducah, Kentucky for all of January, February, March and April combined.
“Even after the rain stops in the hardest-hit areas late Saturday into Sunday, rivers can continue to rise in the days to come,” Deger warned. “There can still be impassable roadways, bridge washouts and mudslides across the region.” The magnitude of this rainfall event is extremely rare, with only a 0.1% chance of such intense rainfall occurring in any given year.
As heavy rain continues to pound the region, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is urging residents to stay alert for extreme flooding over the next several days, just one day after deadly tornadoes tore through parts of the state. With saturated ground and additional rounds of heavy rain in the forecast, Beshear emphasized the potential for dangerous conditions and encouraged people to avoid flooded roads, stay informed, and take warnings seriously as recovery efforts from the tornadoes continue.
“Decisions made over the next few days can save lives. If you see high water, turn around. Don’t drive at night when higher waters are harder to see,” Gov. Beshear said in a news conference. “We know the dangers of flooding all too well. Let’s do what we can to keep everyone safe.”
Parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas have experienced the heaviest rainfall so far, with some areas receiving up to a month’s worth of rain.
Severe storms led to extreme flooding across multiple neighborhoods in Nashville on April 3.
Heavy rain sweeping through the mid-South and lower Ohio Valley on Wednesday led to numerous water rescues in Nashville, Tennessee.
“It was like a monsoon coming down," resident Sue Roberts told News Channel 5.
One dramatic scene unfolded near Trevecca Nazarene University, where video captured emergency crews helping a driver escape from a vehicle trapped in floodwaters. The driver was seen climbing through a window and onto a rescue raft as first responders arrived.
Between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time, the Nashville Fire Department’s Special Operations unit responded to 15 water-related emergencies, the department said. All rescues were successful, and no injuries were reported.
The department also shared footage on X showing streets underwater and urged the public to steer clear of flooded areas and to be cautious of fallen trees and storm debris.
Addtionally, the department advised residents to check their flood risk in their interactive Parcel Viewer by clicking on the list in the upper right corner and scroll down to FEMA Floodplain/Floodway. A solid blue area of your property indicates a floodway and blue hashlines indicate floodplains. A floodway is an area where water is still flowing when it overflows banks of a creek or stream and is much more damaging.
Overlapping weather dangers are targeting the southern United States, and it is uncharted territory for storm chasers who have tracked the weather up close for years. “It’s not uncommon for storm chasers to cover a lot of ground in the prime months of March through June. But what is unusual is to be camped out essentially in the same area, especially in an area displaced so far from the traditional tornado alley,” Storm Chaser Aaron Rigsby explained while reporting from the southern U.S.
“Aside from the tornado threat, these storms are essentially going to train over the same areas for multiple days at a time, setting the stage for not only the strong tornado threat, but back-to-back strong tornado threats and potentially historic flash flooding threats,” he added. “This is something highly unusual.”
The storm watch continues for multiples states Thursday night after a line of destructive weather tore across Arkansas — to Missouri, Tennessee — to Indiana, and as far west as Oklahoma. AccuWeather's Ali Reid shares what emergency crews are doing to assess damage, and how communities are bracing for what’s next in the report below:
From Oklahoma to Arkansas to Tennessee to Indiana and beyond, April 2 was a deadly, destructive day for severe weather. AccuWeather’s Ali Reid has the latest details.
A violent storm that carried a tornado and caused flooding hit Selmer, Tennessee, leaving behind a path of destruction.
Unbelievable images of destruction are slowly emerging from the hard-hit town of Selmer, Tennessee. After walking through Selmer, Gov. Bill Lee described areas as “unrecognizable” with “entire neighborhoods wiped out" by tornadoes that tore through the city.
“It’s hard to take in. Walking through an apartment complex, overturned cars, people’s belongings scattered throughout the fields, the roofs off of the buildings,” Lee said.
Preliminary surveys from the National Weather Service (NWS) indicate that the tornado that struck the city was an EF3 with maximum winds of 160 mph. Depending on the extent of damage, it may take days to determine a final rating for each tornado.
A firefighter from Jackson, Christopher Hansen-Padilla shared stunning footage as he aided in rescue efforts.
“Our community and town were ravaged by the storm, yet we remain a strong community and it’s times like these that show the true character of who we are and our neighbors,” Padilla-Henson posted on Facebook. “We have been blessed with a tremendous amount of support from surrounding counties and our own neighbors. As I mentioned earlier, Selmer is a resilient little community and we will emerge from this challenge even stronger and more united than before.”
A new wave of severe weather is ramping up from Texas to Kentucky, with a severe thunderstorm watch and two tornado watches in effect into Thursday night. Little Rock, Arkansas; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee are all at risk of damaging storms. Severe thunderstorms through Thursday night could produce isolated tornadoes, hail, and localized damaging wind gusts of 60-70 mph, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 85 mph.
In addition to the watches, over a dozen flash flood warnings are in effect across the region with more flood warnings possible due to the rain from the developing thunderstorms and ongoing rain.
The scope of the damage left behind by Wednesday’s tornadoes is starting to come into focus, but the weather is bogging down immediate cleanup and recovery efforts. Rain and thunderstorms are spread across Arkansas, Missouri, western Tennessee and Kentucky, including the communities that are reeling from the destructive storms that hit less than 24 hours ago. Only a few of the storms ongoing early Thursday afternoon were severe, but lightning with any thunderstorm can make it dangerous to be outside, especially those using heavy machinery to clean up debris or repair power lines.
This is just the beginning of a multi-day stretch of wet and stormy weather for the region. “Even after the rain stops in the hardest-hit areas late Saturday into Sunday, rivers can continue to rise in the days to come,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said. “There can still be impassable roadways, bridge washouts and mudslides across the region.”
Parts of Nashville, Tennessee, are underwater following heavy rain from thunderstorms on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Multiple roads around the city have been closed due to high water, with emergency crews performing several water rescues to save people stranded amid the rising floodwaters. “If you go out this morning, please use caution,” the Nashville Fire Department said. Motorists who come across a flooded street should avoid driving through the water as it may be deeper than it appears, which can cause vehicles to stall and become stranded.
Since Wednesday afternoon, 3.58 inches of rain have fallen in Nashville, with more rain in the forecast. The Richland Creek near Belle Meade, just southwest of Nashville, rose to 11.8 feet, just below major flood stage, twice in the last 24 hours. First at 6 a.m. Wednesday, then again at 11 a.m. Thursday. While there may be a pause in the precipitation, additional rounds of rain and storms are in the forecast, which can lead to more flooding around the city.
Richard Sigourney and Violet Peterson describe the steps they took to survive a deadly tornado in Selmer, Tennessee, on April 3.
At least 6 deaths have been reported in the wake of the violent tornado outbreak, with 4 of those reported in Tennessee. Residents of hard-hit Selmer are sharing how they barely made it to safety before the tornado ripped apart their home.
“All I heard was tap tap on the window and I drug her to the sewing room, craft room, right in the center of the house and I just got over her, hugged her (his wife), and we were in the tornado, it was just a ‘goin’ for about 30, 40 seconds,” Selmer resident Richard Sigourney said. “I looked out and I’m like, neighbor’s motorcycle is in the front room.”
Violet Peterson also shared her terrifying experience as she and her husband ran for cover in the middle of their home.
“We heard like a whistling noise coming through and he’s like, ‘It’s coming!’ So we jumped up, ran into the room and like i said we just made it into the room… Glass was just flying and debris was flying all over our heads.”
Authorities in Selmer are searching through the debris left behind for anyone trapped or injured and say the death toll there is likely to rise with so many people still missing.
An apartment complex in Selmer, Tennessee, suffered major damage after a tornado swept through the community on April 3.
Two additional storm-related fatalities were confirmed in Tennessee Thursday morning following a night of destructive severe weather, and officials say more casualties are possible as damage assessments continue.
A lineman with Carroll County Electric Department, was killed when his bucket hydroplaned, flipped upside down in a creek and he was trapped inside, according to Tennessee Emergency Management spokesperson Kristin Coulter.
A second deadly incident occurred in Fayette County, where a tornado overturned a house trailer near the Moscow community, about 45 miles east of Memphis. Chief Deputy Raymond Garcia said a 48-year-old man was killed at the scene, and his 16-year-old daughter later died at a nearby hospital. Three other family members remain hospitalized, including the teen’s mother, who was rescued from the debris.
The latest confirmed deaths bring the total to six across the region, including earlier fatalities in McNairy and Obion counties in Tennessee and Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.
This drone video from storm chaser Brandon Clement shows catastrophic damage in Selmer, Tennessee, on April 3, after a deadly tornado. Homes were destroyed, and trees were ripped off by the roots.
As the sun rose across Selmer, Tennessee, unfathomable destruction was revealed across the town, located about 90 miles east of Memphis. At least two deaths were reported in the region and authorities say more are likely considering the scope of the damage and number of people still missing.
Tornado damage in Selmer, Tennessee as seen by drone on April 3, 2025. (Brandon Clement/WxChasing)
Cars were tossed around, large areas of trees razed, buildings demolished and entire neighborhoods left unrecognizable. At least one person died in McNairy County, where Selmer is located. Two other weather-related deaths are reported in the state. Crews were out in force early Thursday, searching for survivors amid the damaged and destroyed homes and buildings.
A video posted to Facebook shows Tennessee state troopers, McNairy County deputies, Selmer Police and firefighters searching through the wreckage of a home near Selmer that took a direct hit.
Tornadoes and thunderstorms blitzed the central United States Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night, with the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing 728 warnings. This was the third-highest number of warnings issued in a 24-hour period since 1986, only behind April 27, 2011 (881) and May 30, 2004 (834). Warnings stretched from northern Texas to western Pennsylvania, with the highest concentration of warnings being focused around western Tennessee.
The number of tornado warnings, 284, was also third-highest, behind March 2, 2012 (285) and April 27, 2011 (450). Two tornado emergencies were issued, one crossing from Arkansas into Missouri Wednesday evening, and another crossing Mississippi to Tennessee Thursday morning, where 1 person was killed at 5:30 a.m. CDT near La Grange, Tennessee.
A total of 27 tornado reports were received by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the last 24 hours. Three of yesterday's tornadoes have been officially rated: An EF0 in Bates County, an EF2 in Cooper County, and an EF1 in Vernon County.
Severe weather is not as widespread as it was on Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night, but rain and thunderstorms are still spread across a 1,500-mile stretch from Texas to Pennsylvania. “Some of the same areas that experienced severe weather Wednesday will not be cleared from the risk for additional severe thunderstorm activity,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said. “The expected zone of severe weather into Thursday night is from northern Texas through the mid-Mississippi and Ohio River valleys and even into a portion of the mid-Atlantic,” he added.
Additional rounds of severe will be possible in the same area of the country on Friday and again on Saturday, including the risk of tornadoes. Simultaneously, repeated rain and thunderstorms will lead to significant flooding. “Given the overlap of severe weather hazards and extreme flooding, residents should be mindful of taking shelter in basements and underground storm shelters, as they may become flooded,” Deger cautioned. “It is recommended to review severe weather action plans ahead of this event and have a backup plan if the traditional shelter location is inaccessible due to flooding.”
People near Potosi, Missouri, were recording as a suspected tornado touched down on the afternoon of April 2.
At least one person was killed in southeast Missouri as severe weather ripped across the state Wednesday evening, according to Sgt. Clark Parrott with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The fatality occurred between the communities of Advance and Delta, KFVS reported.
Parrott also confirmed that a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper was injured at his home in Advance. The trooper was hospitalized but has since been released.
Three deaths have also been reported in Tennessee as suspected tornadoes ripped through McNairy, Obion and Fayette counties. According to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, a tornado struck a home in the Moscow area, leading to a fatality.
The sheriff's office reported that around 2:00 a.m. they received a call that a tornado struck a home and people were missing.
"First Responders arrived on the scene and found a modular home flipped upside down, with one person trapped," Fayette County EMA said in a statement. "In addition, four other family members were found a short distance from the house. One victim was transported in critical condition, while two others were transported to the hospital in stable condition. One was pronounced deceased on the scene."
Crews were out assessing damage as the sun rose on Thursday morning.
An apartment complex in Selmer, Tennessee, suffered major damage after a tornado swept through the community on April 3.
At least two people have died in Tennessee amid the severe weather outbreak, the states emergency management agency confirmed Thursday morning.
Dangerous nocturnal tornadoes were reported overnight across several states. A tornado was spotted moving toward Selmer in McNairy County where one death occurred. The second death was reported in Obion County.
Elsewhere in Tennessee, special agent Jason Pack with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security posted on Facebook as he took cover from a storm in Davidson County.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation said crews are working to clear debris reported on several roads across West Tennessee and urged drivers to check road conditions on TDOT’s Smartway map.
Severe storms wreaked havoc from Michigan to Arkansas on April 2. This video is a small sample of the chaos that unfolded.
As severe weather charges northeast through the central US, more than 300,000 customers are without power across several states as of Thursday morning, according to poweroutage.us:
Indiana: 129,000
Ohio: 80,000
Arkansas: 25,000
Mississippi: 11,077
Tennessee: 18,606
Kentucky: 42,810
Missouri: 11,407
Nearly 120,000 customers are still without power in Michigan after being impacted by ice storms from last weekend.
There were 27 reports of tornadoes Wednesday and Wednesday night in the central U.S., including multiple likely strong tornadoes.
Multiple vehicles were submerged in high water in eastern Indianapolis, according to a post by the city’s police department on X.
Authorities said no one was trapped, but urged drivers to avoid flooded roads, warning, “Don’t put your vehicle or your life at risk by driving into water.”
AccuWeather meteorologists warn heavy rain and subsequent flooding problems will continue to ramp up Thursday morning and will escalate daily from there.
"That moisture plume, known as an atmospheric river, will be tropical in nature and originate from the Caribbean," AccuWeather Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist William Clark said, "Tropical moisture raises the risk of excessive rainfall."
For those not as familiar with an atmospheric river, this will behave like a tropical storm moving slowly across the area. However, with multiple rounds forecast in four to five days, it may be more like three or four tropical storms passing over the same region, with each unloading copious amounts of rain.
There is the potential for up to four months' worth of rain to fall in five days along portions of a 1,000-mile-long swath.
Tosha Qualls was recording as a suspected tornado caused massive power flashes near Lake City, Arkansas, on April 2.
A powerful tornado ripped through Lake City and nearby communities in northeastern Arkansas, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a rare tornado emergency — the most urgent warning level — due to what it described as a “large and destructive tornado.”
Arkansas Governor Sara Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Wednesday, stating on X that she had received multiple reports of severe storm and tornado damage across the region, especially after a massive tornado ripped through the state.
Dramatic videos posted to social media captured the massive twister churning across the landscape in Lake City - located about an hour northwest of Memphis, Tennessee - leaving behind a trail of destruction.
At least 4 people were injured in Arkansas. Incredibly, no fatalities have been reported, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) has confirmed.
A video from Lake City, Arkansas, shows the devastation caused by a tornado on April 2.
Although the full extent of destruction is still being assessed, widespread damage is reported across Arkansas including nearly twenty counties with reports of impacted trees, homes, power lines, and roadways due to tornadoes, hail, wind, and flash flooding.
A tornado watch is in effect for parts of northern Alabama, eastern Kentucky, northern Mississippi and central Tennessee until 6 a.m. C.T. Thursday, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Nearly 6 million people are impacted by the watch, which includes Nashville, Tennessee, and Tupelo, Mississippi.
Darkness has descended across the central United States, but dangerous weather persists across the region with multiple tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings in effect. "Now we're dealing with a line of storms," Storm Chaser Aaron Jayjack said early Wednesday night from northeastern Arkansas. "We're not out of the woods yet." Shortly before his interview on the AccuWeather Network, Jayjack was tracking a tornado-warned storm that crossed over Interstate 55 just north of Memphis, Tennessee. Flashes of lightning revealed a massive wall cloud, but he was unable to tell if a tornado was on the ground amid the chaos.
A tornado-warned storm lit up by lightning near Clarkdale, Arkansas, on April 2, 2025. (Aaron Jayjack)
Jayjack plans on chasing severe weather again on Thursday as a new round of storms develops. The days of storms and rain will also evolve into a dangerous flood event, with over a foot of rain in the forecast for some areas that were bombarded with severe weather on Wednesday.
People near Potosi, Missouri, were recording as a suspected tornado touched down on the afternoon of April 2.
During a tornado warning around 4:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, Ashley Bleckler-Akers filmed a likely tornado in Potosi, Missouri, 50 miles southwest of St. Louis. No reports of damage had been received by the National Weather Service as of this writing. Keegan Warden filmed what was likely the same tornado from nearby Old Mines, Missouri, around the same time.
At least one person has been injured after a suspected tornado tracked through Stoddard County, Missouri, located in the southeastern corner of the state, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Farther west in Vernon County, Missouri, a damage survey found evidence of an EF1 tornado in the town of Moundville, with winds between 86 and 110 mph.
A rare tornado emergency was issued at 7:45 p.m. CDT in northeastern Arkansas, including the towns of Bay, Lake City, Leachville and Manila. A tornado emergency is only issued when there is a high likelihood of fatalities and significant, widespread damage.
To make matters worse, the situation is about to get even more dangerous. “It has been a series of tornado-warned storms,” AccuWeather National Reporter Leslie Hudson said while near a storm in Brinkley, Arkansas. “The sun is setting here, so now this turns into a much more dangerous situation, trying to track the severe weather as the daylight goes away,” she added. Watch Hudson’s full report below:
AccuWeather’s Leslie Hudson reported live from Arkansas on the evening of April 2 amid severe storms repeatedly striking the state.
Tornado watches are in effect from northern Louisiana through Indiana, including one deemed a “particularly dangerous situation” due to the risk of “intense tornadoes,” wind gusts over 80 mph and hail larger than golf balls. Multiple radar-confirmed tornadoes have been reported across the region, including one that tracked south of St. Louis late Wednesday afternoon and another that moved over Jackson, Tennessee, shortly before the Wednesday evening commute.
Flight disruptions are piling up amid the severe weather, with over 2,300 delays and nearly 450 cancellations at airports across the region, according to FlightAware. This could have a ripple effect across the country, which can result in additional delays and cancellations into Thursday.
While the primary focus of Wednesday’s storms is on the central United States, a batch of strong thunderstorms pelted Pennsylvania on Wednesday afternoon.
Severe thunderstorms moved across the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania region around 2:15 p.m. EDT, bringing dozens of reports of large hail between 1 and 1.5 inches in diameter, the size of quarters to ping pong balls.
Hail in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 2, 2025. (X/@russianswimmer)
Even larger hailstones were reported in the central U.S. at 4:00 p.m. CDT, including South Fork, Missouri (2.5 inches), Springfield, Illinois (2 inches) and Enid, Oklahoma (2 inches).
Major blowing dust has severely reduced visibility on Interstate 57 in Clarkedale, Arkansas, on April 2. This is causing enormous travel issues for motorists navigating through this highway.
AccuWeather storm chaser Aaron Rigsby captured this ominous footage in Clarkedale, Arkansas Wednesday afternoon as severe weather takes aim on the state.
Major blowing dust severely reduced visibility on I-55, causing travel trouble for drivers navigating the highway.
Near the dust storm in Clarkedale, a storm chaser also spotted a wall cloud moving northeast.
"Beautiful ground-scraping wall cloud," the videographer can be heard saying.
A wall cloud is a localized, vertical lowering portion of a thunderstorm’s cloud base. Typically, wall clouds form beneath the storm’s updraft and are often in association with supercells. Often found in the rain-free area of a storm, wall clouds mark the location of the strongest updrafts. They are important indicators of possible tornado formation, especially when they exhibit rotation.
AccuWeather expert meteorologists issued a rare high risk for severe thunderstorms through late Wednesday night across northeastern Texas, northwestern Louisiana, much of Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, northwestern Mississippi, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, southern Illinois, as well as southwestern and central Indiana.
Tornadoes, large hail, flash flooding and widespread damaging wind gusts of 60-70 mph can accompany these storms, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 95 mph.
“We expect storms to erupt Wednesday afternoon,” AccuWeather Severe Weather Expert Guy Pearson said. “The highest risk of tornadoes will extend from southern Indiana and Illinois to southeastern Missouri, western Kentucky, western Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, much of Arkansas and northern Louisiana. The threat of strong and long-track tornadoes will continue well into the evening and overnight hours.”
After the tragic death of a local teenage driver, this Texas-based singer-songwriter created a 30-second PSA jingle to help make sure people turn around and don’t drown when approaching flooded roads.
Over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into dangerous floodwaters, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you come across a flooded roadway, it is important to Turn Around, Don’t Drown! ®
Just one foot of moving water is enough to sweep away your vehicle. While you should avoid driving into flooded roadways, if you happen to find yourself trapped in your car in fasting moving water the most important thing to remember to do is to stay calm. According toCar.com, here are a few other things to remember:
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Turn on your headlights and hazard lights to make it easier for emergency personnel to locate you.
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Unbuckle your seat belt and unlock your doors.
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Take your jacket and outer clothing off.
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If you can open your windows, do so slowly, climb out, move to higher ground and call 911.
If you can’t open your windows, you’ll have to open your doors. To do so, you must first equalize the water pressure inside your car to match the outside. This will require water to enter the car and fill up to about neck level. Once the doors are open, swim safely to land and call 911.
AccuWeather speaks with Lacey Kanipe of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety who shares how her state is coordinating with all weather sources to prepare for the approaching dangerous storms.
Hail, flooding rainfall and tornadoes are expected to sweep across several states, including Arkansas, over the coming days. On AccuWeather Early, AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno and Ariella Scalese spoke with Lacey Kanipe of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety who shared how her state is coordinating with all weather sources to prepare for the approaching dangerous storms. Kanipe urged all residents to stay aware of the changing weather conditions.
“Stay tuned in as much as possible and make sure you can receive those weather alerts and then listen to your local authorities about any areas of concern when flash flooding occurs," Kanipe said. "Flash flooding can escalate quickly. If you see moving water do not attempt to cross it.”
The major flood risk from Arkansas to Ohio is expected to cause road and bridge washouts. AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva says people in low-lying and flood-prone areas should prepare for the potential of extreme impacts.
“These drenching downpours and storms could bring as much rainfall as two or three back-to-back tropical rainstorms in the span of just four days,” DaSilva said. “Creeks, streams and drainage systems could be quickly overwhelmed.”
It takes just six inches of moving water to knock a person down and two feet of moving water can sweep away vehicles. Kanipe also encouraged residents of Arkansas to have an emergency family plan in place and make sure everyone knows where the nearest emergency shelter is located. Placing emergency kits in your home and vehicle before severe weather arrives is also advised
“Pack that emergency kit in your vehicle that has food, water, blankets, flares, probes, extra batteries, chargers, things like that so if you become stranded you’re at least better prepared.”
A tornado-warned storm left roads in Owasso, Oklahoma, covered with debris from homes and trees on April 2.
Video Wednesday morning from Owassa, a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma, showed damaged homes after a tornado was spotted by the Tulsa Airport at 6:40 a.m. CDT.
Several roofs were blown off in the area. The National Weather Service said a tornadic debris signature was observed on radar during the storm.
Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency Tuesday ahead of a multi-day severe weather outbreak forecast to begin Wednesday evening across Kentucky.
In a video message, Gov. Beshear emphasized that western Kentucky faces a high risk of widespread severe storms, adding that the state is under some of the most serious weather threats he’s seen. Beshear urged the state to take the incoming weather very seriously.
Beshear warned the storms could be “intense and long-lived,” urging residents to take precautions and find safe shelter.
“Tornadoes are expected, and I know that’s tough to hear,” Beshear said, noting his biggest concern is the timing of the storms, especially for already hard-hit areas in the west.
A possible tornado, illuminated by lightning, south of Salina, Kansas on the evening of April 1, 2025. (Sue Watson)
At 9:53 p.m. CDT Tuesday evening, a trained spotter reported a tornado 20 miles southwest of Salina, Kansas. At 10:14 p.m., the tornado was reported again, just south of Salinas.
From north of town, resident Sue Watson filmed what may have been the tornado, illuminated by lightning.
The city also saw 1.5-inch diameter hail overnight and a 24-hour rainfall of 5 inches by Wednesday morning.
AccuWeather’s severe weather expert Guy Pearson was live on the AccuWeather Network to discuss the severe weather threat for April 2.
In advance of the forecasted severe weather moving into Arkansas Wednesday, several school districts announced early dismissals and canceled all after-school activities. “In light of tomorrow’s weather forecast, all after-school activities scheduled for Wednesday will be canceled out of an abundance of caution,” Little Rock School District said on Facebook Tuesday.
Several other districts including Lonoke Public School District, Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, Pine Bluff School District and Bryant School District followed suit, announcing early dismissals and after-school activity cancellations on Wednesday.
KATV has a comprehensive list of early dismissals and cancellations.
A snapshot of the weather radar early Wednesday morning showing the ongoing severe weather in the central United States, as well as snow across part of the Midwest and northern Plains. (AccuWeather)
Tornado watches were in effect early Wednesday morning as a line of severe thunderstorms extended from eastern Oklahoma through Missouri. The storms initially erupted late Tuesday and continued through Tuesday night, producing hail, damaging wind and a few tornadoes.
Hail falls in Clay County, Indiana (Image credit: Tat2JonesSLT)
Thunderstorms on Wednesday afternoon and into Wednesday night are predicted to be more powerful than those on Tuesday, with a high risk of destructive storms and tornadoes across the central United States. "Many of the areas that have been hit by severe weather over the past couple of weeks will be in the middle of this new and significant threat," AccuWeather Severe Weather Expert Guy Pearson said. The tornado risk is particularly high from southern Arkansas into southern Indiana, which includes Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and Evansville, Indiana.
Catastrophic flooding may unfold later this week and into the weekend in the same areas that will be bombarded by severe thunderstorms on Wednesday, with over a foot of rain in the forecast.
Severe thunderstorms erupted over Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska late Tuesday, marking the beginning of a multi-day stretch of destructive weather across the central United States. AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Laubach is on the road and in position ahead of Wednesday's storms and is planning to intercept severe weather that breaks out across southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas. Watch the video below for Laubach's full report:
AccuWeather’s Tony Laubach is ready to hit the road as he gears up for more storm coverage in Missouri.
AccuWeather’s Jon Porter warns that 83 million Americans are under a severe weather threat as storms are expected to produce life-threatening and potentially historic flooding in the central U.S.
Damaging thunderstorms and tornadoes will only be the first phase of a stretch of dangerous weather across part of the central United States. “We’re concerned about the risk of life-threatening and historic flash flooding, which could evolve into a major river flooding event," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. "This is essentially an atmospheric river setup that will pull tremendous amounts of moisture from the tropics into the central U.S.”
Several months' worth of rain are forecast to fall in less than a week, with the heaviest rain expected from Arkansas to western Kentucky. With an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 21 inches, the situation could become a "one-in-1,000-year flood event." This means that in any given year, there is a 0.1% chance of a similar extreme rainfall and flooding event unfolding.
Flooding may continue to be an issue even after the rainfall stops as it will take days for water to drain along streams and smaller rivers, and potentially weeks on larger rivers. "Local, state, and highway department officials are encouraged to take preventative measures and prepare for a major flooding event," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter showcases how you can monitor multiple locations of severe weather to keep you and your family safe with the AccuWeather app’s notifications feature.
With severe weather in the forecast, it is important to understand and prepare for the risks that are inbound. These are five tips that can help you and your family prepare in advance:
•Shelter safety: What to look for: It is important to make sure the storm shelter is safe and provides an escape if the door is blocked by potential debris.
•Access to shelter and supplies: Having a storm shelter that cannot be accessed effectively defeats the purpose of having one at all. Shelters should be as easily accessible as possible.
•Security and restoration planning: If doors and windows are shattered and missing, securing the property quickly is essential. Making sure the property is structurally sound and having a repair company in mind should be planned before the severe weather.
•Insurance and financial protection: Consumers should look at the types of disasters their area may be prone to, to determine if they have the proper coverage in place.
•Protecting irreplaceable property with sentimental value: Some items may never be able to be replaced after a disaster. For these items, it is a good idea to take preventative measures to protect personal possessions that hold sentimental value.
