More Torrential Rain and Flash Flooding Expected in Waterlogged South and Midwest
Hopkinsville, Ky., April 5, 2025 – A relentless weather onslaught is set to drench the South and Midwest again Saturday, with torrential rains and flash flooding threatening regions already saturated from days of storms that killed at least eight and spawned deadly tornadoes. The National Weather Service (NWS) warns of 3-4 more inches of rain through Sunday, pushing 45 river locations across multiple states to major flood stage—levels that could swamp homes, roads, and infrastructure from Arkansas to Ohio.
A Region Under Water
Since Wednesday, heavy rains have pounded the central U.S., swelling rivers and triggering flash flood emergencies in Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas. Hopkinsville, Kentucky—a city of 31,000—saw downtown streets turn into a lake Friday before a brief respite Saturday morning as the Little River receded. “We got a little break—most of it went north,” Mayor James R. Knight Jr. told NPR, but the relief’s short-lived. Forecasts predict the worst Saturday afternoon into evening, with Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam noting residents are stacking sandbags for another surge.
Kentucky’s taken a brutal hit. Governor Andy Beshear reported hundreds of roads impassable Friday due to floodwaters, downed trees, and mudslides—closures likely to rise with more rain. A 9-year-old boy, Gabriel Andrews, was swept away in Frankfort Friday morning while heading to his school bus, his body found half a mile away, per AP News. Flash flooding’s a grim specter here—less than four years ago, dozens died in eastern Kentucky’s hollows as water roared off mountains.
Tornadoes and Rising Rivers
The storms aren’t just wet—they’re violent. Tennessee’s Selmer was “completely wiped out” by a 160-mph tornado Wednesday, per Governor Bill Lee, with advance warnings saving lives as hundreds sheltered in a courthouse. Arkansas’ Blytheville saw debris lofted 25,000 feet by a twister Friday, one of two reported that night, per NWS meteorologist Chelly Amin. At least seven died earlier this week across Tennessee, Missouri, and Indiana, with Arkansas reporting damage in 22 counties.
Rivers are bursting. Ohio’s southern half faces moderate flooding—unseen in four years—with 70 roads closed, per Governor Mike DeWine. Missouri’s Van Buren logged 15 water rescues Friday as the Current River surged, while Texarkana, Texas, saw drivers plucked from flooded streets. “It’s as bad as we expected,” NWS’s Justin Gibbs told AP News. The NWS’s Weather Prediction Center blames warm air, unstable skies, strong wind shear, and Gulf moisture—a recipe for chaos stretching into Sunday.
A Glimmer of Hope?
Tennessee’s NWS Nashville offered a lifeline Saturday: “The finish line is in sight!” Severe risks should ease after Sunday, though not before more heavy rain and winds lash Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Hopkinsville’s bracing for 3-4 inches Saturday alone—on top of 6-10 inches since Wednesday, per NWS—while AccuWeather’s Jonathan Porter warns of supply chain snarls in cargo hubs like Louisville and Memphis.
As Trump’s tariffs tank markets and Nigeria’s naira hits N1,600/$1, this waterlogged region battles nature’s fury. Sandbags pile up, roads vanish, and communities mourn—a soggy, storm-tossed South and Midwest face a weekend where resilience is the only forecast that matters.
If you’d like me to zero in—like on a specific state or the tornado angle—let me know! What’s on your mind?
