Photos: 5 dead after severe storms tear from Arkansas to Kentucky

The first severe weather outbreak of the year triggered tornadoes, extensive damage and flooding across the Mississippi and Ohio valleys this past weekend.

At least five people have died as a result of the storms, according to The Washington Post.

Thirteen preliminary tornadoes were reported on Saturday and Saturday night, causing three deaths and numerous injuries, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center.

A majority of the tornadoes touched down in Kentucky and Tennessee.

An EF-2 tornado with maximum winds of 125 mph left a trail of destruction in Clarksville, Tennessee. The tornado was on the ground for a little over four miles.

In southeastern Missouri, debris was strewn about after an EF-2 tornado with maximum winds of 115 mph tore through the town of Malden.

In addition to the damage inflicted by high winds and tornadoes, torrential rainfall led to widespread flooding, road closures and wash outs, water rescues and sinkholes.

The flooding was exacerbated due to recent rainfall that left the ground saturated and rivers running high.

One person died after their vehicle was swept up by floodwaters in Kentucky.

A flash flood emergency was declared for the Louisville, Kentucky, metro area on Saturday night after torrential rainfall caused water to rapidly rise, forcing numerous water rescues.

The 2.98 inches of rain that fell in the city on Saturday set a new daily record.

At one point during Saturday night, flash flood warnings extended along an approximate 700-mile stretch of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys.

As crews and residents assess damage and begin the clean-up process, rain and the potential for more severe thunderstorms will return to the affected region through Wednesday.

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