Deadly storms that have caused widespread damage across the central U.S. were still bearing down on much of the country Thursday, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and putting millions under tornado watches.
More than a dozen tornadoes were reported across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri on Wednesday and overnight, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. Images show widespread damage, with roofs collapsed, vehicles overturned and trees snapped and uprooted.
Officials in Missouri said at least one person was killed Wednesday in the southeast part of the state, KFVS-TV reported. The Tennessee Department of Health said two deaths have been linked to the storms, including one in McNairy County and another in Obion County.
Over 30 million people from Texas to Ohio were still at risk Thursday of powerful tornadoes and major flooding, which is only expected to worsen over the coming days as some parts of the country receive upwards of 15 inches of rain.
The National Weather Service said in a forecast, “This is a catastrophic, potentially historic heavy rainfall and flash flood event.”
‘We’re taking cover’: Tennessee state agent shelters in hotel bathroom
A member of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security took to a hotel bathroom to shelter after a tornado warning was issued in Middle Tennessee overnight.
Special Agent Jason Pack said he began sheltering around 3:20 a.m. after a tornado warning activated in Davidson County, which encompasses the city of Nashville.
“The emergency alert came out and we’re taking cover,” he said in a video posed on the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Facebook page. “We do take our own advice.”
He urged residents to keep up with weather updates as the storms pass over the state.
Hundreds of schools close amid severe weather outbreak
School districts across the country canceled class on Thursday, citing the dangerous weather conditions brought by a massive springtime storm system.
Districts in Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio announced a delayed start to class, a shift to virtual learning or a complete closing of schools.
In Tennessee, Metro Nashville Public Schools, a district that serves over 81,000 students, closed for the day and canceled all after-school practices, games and meetings.
Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee under state of emergencies
Ahead of the storms, several governors declared state of emergencies to unlock funds and resources to assist in the preparation of the severe weather and eventual recovery effort.
State of emergencies were declared in Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee, with officials urging residents to prepare for potentially historic flash flooding and tornadoes by packing a go-bag and staying updated on the weather in their areas.
“This is a reminder for all of Kentucky that we are facing one of the most serious weather events we’ve had forecast,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement on X late Thursday. “Please stay alert, take all precautions, and be prepared.”
Hundreds of thousands without power across US
From Mississippi to Michigan, more than 387,000 homes and businesses were without power early Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us.
The states with the most outages were Indiana, 114,805; Michigan, 114,774; Ohio, 75,076; Kentucky, 39,301; and Arkansas, 24,056.
Tornado warnings, flood advisories abound
