Hopkinsville, Bowling Green under water; two fatalities in Kentucky

Another round of torrential rain and flash flooding was coming Saturday for parts of the South and Midwest already heavily waterlogged by days of severe storms that also spawned some deadly tornadoes.

Round after round of heavy rains have pounded the central U.S., rapidly swelling waterways and prompting a series of flash flood emergencies in Missouri, Texas and Arkansas. The National Weather Service said 45 river locations in multiple states were expected to reach major flood stage, with extensive flooding of structures, roads and other critical infrastructure possible.

At least seven people were killed as the tornadoes destroyed entire neighborhoods, with more twisters possible in places this weekend. Flooding killed at least two in Kentucky -- 9-year-old boy swept away Friday on his way to school, and a 74-year-old whose body was found Saturday inside a fully submerged vehicle in Nelson County, authorities said.

And interstate commerce is affected — the extreme flooding across a corridor that includes the major cargo hubs in Louisville, Kentucky and Memphis could lead to shipping and supply chain delays, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky, reopened early Saturday after floodwaters from the Little River receded, giving a much needed reprieve, but still more rainfall was on its way Saturday and Sunday, Mayor James R. Knight Jr. said.

Torrential rain since Wednesday had turned the downtown of the city of 31,000 into a lake Friday before the bands of weather shifted slightly.

“We got a little rain but most of it went north of us,” Knight said Saturday. “Thank goodness on that. Gave us a little break.”

Flash flood emergencies continued to be issued Saturday across Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, with more heavy rains and damaging winds in the mix. Weather officials in Tennessee, at least, predicted that the crescendo of severe weather risks would subside after Sunday.

Yet worst of it was expected Saturday afternoon and evening in Hopkinsville, where predictions of another 3-4 inches of rain had people filling more sandbags to hold back another potential surge of floodwaters, Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam said Saturday.

“We anticipate this water coming back quickly if it comes down quickly,” he said. “There are supposed to be three or four bursts of heavy rains throughout the day.”

Hundreds of Kentucky roads were impassable Friday because of floodwaters, downed trees or mud and rock slides, and the number of closures were likely to increase with more rain Saturday.

Over in Arkansas, weather officials pleaded with the public to avoid all travel unless absolutely necessary due to the widespread flooding.

“The magnitude of flash flooding taking place in portions of the state is catastrophic, the NWS warned.

Since Wednesday, more than a foot of rain — or 30.5 centimeters — has now fallen in parts of Kentucky, and more than 8 inches (20 centimeters) has fallen in parts of Arkansas and Missouri, forecasters said Saturday.


(AP photo George Walker IV)