US braces for ‘one-in-1000-year’ flood: State of emergency declared as millions at risk in THESE states
World: A “particularly dangerous situation” tornado watch has been issued for parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, and Mississippi.
Severe flash flood warnings have been issued across parts of the United States, with meteorologists warning of a potentially “historic one-in-1000-year” rainfall event. Over the next five days, the Ozarks, the Mississippi Valley, and a large portion of the Ohio Valley are expected to receive the equivalent of four months’ worth of rain.
Life-threatening flooding and tornadoes expected
Forecasters have warned that this weather system is carrying “tremendous amounts of moisture”, leading to a high risk of life-threatening flooding. The National Weather Service has also warned of a possible “tornado outbreak”, with the danger zone stretching from Texas to Michigan.
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A “particularly dangerous situation” tornado watch has been issued for parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, and Mississippi. Memphis, home to 1.3 million people, has been labelled as a high-risk area for both tornadoes and excessive rainfall.
In preparation, the governors of Kentucky and Arkansas declared a preemptive state of emergency on Wednesday.
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What we know so far
Tornado risk peaks on Wednesday afternoon into the evening, with storms likely continuing into the weekend. Memphis, Tennessee, is expected to be at the centre of both the tornado and flood threats. Rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches, creating the potential for “generational flooding” across parts of northeast Arkansas, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, and southern Indiana.
Meteorologists warn this storm system won’t move quickly, meaning heavy rain will persist through the weekend.
‘Major river flooding’ possible, meteorologists warn
Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist at AccuWeather, told The Mirror that this could evolve into a major river flooding event, with the situation escalating to life-threatening emergencies in seconds.
"Parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas could see one to nearly two feet of rainfall by the end of the weekend," Porter said.
"Some of the communities hit hardest by back-to-back thunderstorms could receive up to four months' worth of rainfall in five days," he added. "This could quickly escalate to a one-in-1000-year flood event. The impacts could be similar to experiencing back-to-back tropical storms," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
