Historic flooding after 300+ mm of rain, severe storms hit U.S.
Severe thunderstorms have caused damage across the U.S. every day since March 29
A weeklong severe weather outbreak across the United States has killed multiple people and devastated entire communities after tornadoes and flash floods ripped through the centre of the country.
Several waves of violent weather have swept over the country since the end of March, stretching thin both forecasters and emergency response crews throughout the region.
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Dangerous storms for days
Forecasters with the U.S. Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issue severe thunderstorm outlooks based on a five-category scale. Higher categories indicate higher confidence in widespread severe storm activity.
The SPC has issued a level three risk for severe weather on seven out of eight days between March 29 and April 5, with three days seeing a moderate (level four) risk for dangerous thunderstorms.
One day, April 2, required a scale-topping high risk. High-risk days are very rare in the U.S., with only 67 such forecasts issued since Jan. 1, 2000.
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Between March 29 and the early afternoon hours on Sunday, April 6, the NWS had issued 500+ tornado warnings and 300+ flash flood warnings across the country.
Two of those tornado warnings were considered tornado emergencies, while nine of the flash flood warnings were upgraded to flash flood emergencies. “Emergency” is enhanced wording added to a warning when a confirmed, high-impact, life-threatening tornado or flash flood is ongoing.
Full damage surveys for the tornadoes have been delayed by repeated rounds of severe weather. It’ll take a week or so before the full extent of the tornado activity is known.
‘Catastrophic’ flash flooding reported
Adding insult to injury, a week of continuous thunderstorms have led to widespread flash flooding throughout the Mississippi River and Ohio River valleys.
396 mm of rain fell near the town of Benton, Kentucky, between the mornings of April 2 and April 6. The airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, saw 300 mm of rain during that four-day stretch, which is nearly double what the city averages during an entire April.
The town of Mayfield, Kentucky, reported 340.4 mm (13.40 in.) of rain between April 2 and April 5, a deluge which sparked terrible flooding throughout the region. Mayfield was previously devastated by a powerful tornado in December 2021.
More than 200 river gauges across the central U.S. are predicted to reach moderate or major flood stage over the next week.
The repetitive thunderstorms and flooding rains arrived courtesy of a strong ridge of high pressure over the southeastern U.S.
This ridge, which pushed temperatures over the 30-degree mark throughout North Carolina on Friday, set up a formidable boundary over the Mid-South states. Storms fired up and regenerated along this boundary, hitting the same communities for hours and days on end.
Severe weather hits amid federal freezes, layoffs
The onslaught of severe weather unfolded during a painful time for federal forecasters across the United States. Mass layoffs, spending cuts, and funding freezes have made it increasingly difficult for agencies like the National Weather Service to provide full services.
The Associated Press reported on Friday that 55 of the 122 NWS offices around the United States are “critically understaffed” as a result of a hiring freeze, firings, and early retirements.
Even basic human functions have been affected by the cuts. According to public posts from employees within the agency, forecasters at one NWS office in Kentucky have had to use portable toilets in the parking lot because of indoor plumbing issues that can’t get fixed due to a freeze on federal spending.
Contains files from The Associated Press.