LAKE CITY, Ark. — Amidst the wreckage of twisted tractors on his family farm in northeastern Arkansas, Danny Qualls watched as friends and family began the arduous task of cleaning up on Thursday. His childhood home, though no longer his residence, was demolished by one of several tornadoes that wrought havoc from Oklahoma to Indiana. These tornadoes marked the beginning of a storm cycle predicted to bring unprecedented rains and dangerous flash floods to the heart of the nation in the coming days.
“My husband has been very tearful and emotional, yet he understands that there is work to be done,” Rhonda Qualls explained. “Last night, he was in shock, crying himself to sleep.” The initial wave of the storm claimed the lives of at least seven people in Tennessee, Missouri, and Indiana, producing forceful tornadoes—one of which hurled debris nearly five miles into the air above Arkansas.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee mentioned the possibility of additional fatalities as search operations continue. “The devastation is vast. What’s hardest about it is knowing that these are lives utterly disrupted,” Lee stated in the severely affected town of Selmer. “In some instances, it’s actual lives lost, while in others, everything owned by people is scattered in the trees.” During an evening press conference, Lee noted that entire neighborhoods in Selmer were “completely wiped out” and urged statewide vigilance against more predicted severe weather.
The deceased included a Tennessee man and his teenage daughter whose home was destroyed, and a man in Indiana whose truck collided with fallen power lines. In Missouri, 68-year-old Garry Moore, the chief of the Whitewater Fire Protection District, perished while reportedly attempting to aid a stranded motorist, according to Highway Patrol Sgt. Clark Parrott.
Forecasters issued warnings on Thursday about looming catastrophic weather. Satellite images depicted thunderstorm cells organizing like freight trains, repeatedly passing over communities in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky, as reported by the national Weather Prediction Center located in Maryland.
The target area includes a stretch along the Mississippi River, encompassing over 1.3 million residents in the vicinity of Memphis, Tennessee. More than 90 million people face potential severe weather threats stretching from Texas to Minnesota to Maine, as stated by the Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma.
A looming danger of flash flooding threatens numerous states, with continuous heavy rains anticipated across the central U.S. through Saturday. These conditions could result in perilous flash floods capable of sweeping vehicles away. The National Weather Service forecasts “significant, life-threatening flash flooding” as a daily risk.
With the expectation of more than a foot of rain in the coming four days, the deluge is characterized as a rare, generational event by the weather service, mentioning potential historic rainfall totals and impacts. Water rescue units and sandbagging operations are stationed throughout the region, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency poised to provide essential supplies such as food, water, cots, and generators.
Rescue efforts were already in full swing in the waterlogged areas of Nashville, Tennessee, where persistent rainfall is anticipated even after a distressing night of tornado warnings, which depleted the power of some city sirens, the fire department reported. In Western Kentucky, preparations were underway for unprecedented rain and flooding in typically dry locations, noted Governor Andy Beshear. According to his office, 25 state highways were already swamped, primarily in the western part of the state.
Flash flooding is a particularly grave concern in the rural regions of Kentucky, as water can swiftly drain from the mountains into the valleys. Less than four years ago, extensive flooding claimed dozens of lives across eastern Kentucky. Extreme flooding across the logistical corridor of Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis could severely disrupt shipping and supply chain routes, explained Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist.
Meteorologists attribute the severe weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear, and ample moisture from the Gulf.
The tornadoes inflicted a trail of destruction, with more expected to come. Thursday morning saw the remnants of a used car dealership in Selmer standing without a roof, debris strewn across the car lot, and tangled around damaged trees. Homes in the Tennessee town were reduced to their foundations after three tornadoes reportedly touched down.
“Thankfully, we got out unscathed,” said Willie Barnes, who had only a moment to seek shelter in a bathroom with his wife as the storm ravaged their home. The Tennessee Highway Patrol shared footage capturing flashes of lightning lighting up the sky as first responders searched the remnants of a house for survivors.
In Arkansas, a tornado near Blytheville sent debris soaring to at least 25,000 feet, as noted by meteorologist Chelly Amin from the weather service. The state’s emergency management reported tornado, wind, hail, and flash flood damage across 22 counties. Workers removed debris along the highway cutting through Lake City, where a tornado with winds reaching 150 mph destroyed roofs, collapsed brick structures, and launched vehicles into trees.
Mississippi’s governor reported damage to at least 60 homes. In far-western Kentucky, four individuals were injured while seeking shelter under a church carport, according to the Ballard County emergency management office.
—
Note: This article, which has been edited for clarity and conciseness, reflects the widespread devastation and peril presented by tornados and flash floods across several states in the U.S.