Live Updates: Rain, Flooding In Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee – The Weather Channel
Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.At least nine people died as a massive storm system pounded the South with flooding and severe weather Saturday and Sunday, while snow and ice moved into the Northeast.Most of those deaths occurred in Kentucky, where eight people died. In a news conference Sunday afternoon, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he expected the death toll there to rise. Many of the deadly incidents involved drivers and vehicle passengers swept away by floodwaters. A child was among those killed.In Atlanta, Georgia, a man was killed when a tree fell on a home early Sunday.Severe storms erupted amid ongoing flash flood emergencies in places like Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia Saturday. More than 67 million people remained under winter weather alerts Sunday as the storms pushed into Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. As powerful wind gusts hit areas already saturated by heavy rain and flash flooding, power outages surged. By Sunday morning more than 220,000 homes and businesses were without power in Georgia. In Alabama, nearly 160,000 customers had no electricity.The storm system was named Winter Storm Jett by The Weather Channel. Social media posts showed how the storms and suspected tornadoes tore apart homes and businesses in Tennessee and Alabama overnight. More than 300 roads were closed across Kentucky on Sunday due to flooding and landslides. Gov. Beshear and other state safety officials urged people to stay off the roads. He said swift-water teams had rescued more than 1,000 people by Sunday afternoon. Beshear added that evacuations were continuing and President Donald Trump approved his request for an emergency disaster declaration for the state. As much as six inches of rain fell and all 120 counties in the state were impacted, said state officials. Many of those areas were facing a fresh round of snow Sunday, worsening road conditions and making rescues and evacuations even more challenging.In Tennessee, a flash flood emergency was issued Sunday afternoon in Obion County after a levee near the town of Rives, along the Obion River failed, triggering catastrophic flooding. The National Weather Service urged people in the area to get to higher ground immediately, warning that it was a life-threatening situation. About 200 residents needed to be rescued, according to the Tipton County Fire Department, which sent a swift-water team to assist with rescues.Read more detailed forecasts for the South here and the Northeast here.Below are our live updates as the life-threatening weather unfolded Saturday:From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles:A squall line is set to sweep eastward across the South with damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes overnight. The main threat for cities like Jackson and Tupelo, Mississippi, and Birmingham, Alabama, is damaging wind gusts that will intensify as the night goes on. In areas where flooding occurred in the Tennessee Valley and Central Appalachians, gusty winds could take down trees and other structures as the squall line comes through. Have weather notifications turned on on your phone and weather radios. They could save your life tonight.With widespread power outages possible during extreme winter weather and cold, it’s important to beware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.Extended power outages during a stretch of extreme cold in Texas in 2021 led to at least 11 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning. Some 1,400 people were treated in medical facilities.Never operate a portable generator inside or near any enclosed spaces, and never use a gas grill or similar equipment to heat your home. Also beware of running cars in a garage or carport – even just for a few minutes to charge your phone. From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles:Winter Storm Jett will intensify as it moves through the Northeast on Sunday, bringing more snow to some that have already had snow from the storm in the Great Lakes. Rain and strong winds are also expected to punch through coastal areas. Gusts could be as strong as 60 mph from Raleigh to Philadelphia.Soaking wet ground and flooding from heavy rainfall like we’ve seen today can raise the risk of falling trees, especially when severe weather with high winds or tornadoes moves in.The National Weather Service tracks deaths from wind, but not specifically from falling trees. For that reason and others, the number of fatalities from falling trees is widely thought to be undercounted and the risk overlooked.Tornado warnings tonight could be issued in some areas already under a flash flood warning. When that happens, it’s important to act fast but also make smart decisions. Here’s advice from our meteorologist Jonathan Belles:As the danger in the South shifts more toward severe weather, we have the day’s first tornado warnings.Two tornado warnings were issued minutes ago by the National Weather Service for parts of west Tennessee and Arkansas around Memphis.Volunteer firefighters and sheriff’s deputies stepped in to help rescue a person from this vehicle in Warren County, Kentucky. The county includes the towns of Butler, Logan and Bowling Green and is about 100 miles southwest of Louisville. Hundreds of flights are canceled or delayed to or from airports in the South and East today, according to online tracker FlightAware.com. That includes:From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles:For much of today, the menace has been a sluggish warm front draped from Kentucky and Tennessee into the Virginias.This warm front has been pushing moisture eastward as if the thunderstorms were on train tracks over and over again. That has added up to more than 5 inches of rain in some spots. It has taken all day, but this warm front is finally on its way northward into the Northeast.This will turn off the faucet for much of the evening until a squall line sweeps through in the morning.Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught up in floodwaters may also have to deal with hypothermia, the National Weather Service warns. Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature drops below 95 degrees, and frigid water temperatures could result in a rapid onset.Signs of hypothermia include uncontrolled shivering, feeling cold and sluggish, having slurred speech, feeling disoriented or having trouble thinking clearly. Multiple swift water rescues are being reported around the community of Princeton, West Virginia. The area is on the state line just north of Blacksburg, Virginia. Authorities say several waterways are overflowing their banks and numerous roads are impassable.Winter Storm Jett is the 10th of 11 named storms so far this winter season. Up next is Kingston, which has already been named and will start to cause problems early this week. The Weather Channel names winter storms in order to bring awareness that we hope will help people plan for emergencies and stay safe.Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says water is reaching ‘historic levels’ in the city of Elizabethtown, about 40 miles south of Louisville.”Please stay off the roads and avoid high water,” Beshear said in a social media update. “There are multiple road closures from east to west.” He noted at least one road was closed due to a landslide in Knott County, and homes were evacuated in Perry County. Both are in the eastern part of the state.From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles:This screen shot from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center shows just how widespread this pounding rainfall is today. Each of the green dots is a flash flood report from the past two hours. The pins are debris flows.Snow and freezing rain are falling from the Appalachians to the Northeast. The heaviest precipitation is around the border between West Virginia and Virginia, into Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Winter Storm Jett will continue its trek toward the East and Northeast tonight into tomorrow.Video posted to social media shows a swollen river in the eastern Kentucky community of Virgie. The post notes: “The creek is usually 40-45 feet wide. Right now it’s probably 125 feet wide at least. Several roads are gone in the Virgie area along with many homes.”Major airlines like Delta, Southwest and United are warning of travel delays through tomorrow at dozens of airports in cities including Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia.Travelers should check with their airline for the latest updates and options to rebook.Devastating floods hit parts of Kentucky in the summer of 2022, leaving at least 39 people dead, according to the National Weather Service. We don’t expect this to be on that scale, but we do know there is the potential for life-threatening flooding through tonight.Here’s a look back at some of our coverage from 2022:A winter storm warning means heavy snow is expected, along with the possibility of gusty winds and blowing snow, reduced visibility, dangerous road conditions and travel delays. But there’s a caveat: The criteria varies by location. The threshold for a winter storm warning is different in Montana than, say, Texas.”The easiest way to think of this is that a 2-inch snowfall is a higher-impact event in Atlanta than in Chicago or a mountain location in the West,” weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce writes here.Flights arriving at John F. Kennedy International airport are delayed for more than 90 minutes on average due to snow or ice, according to the FAA.Flights departing from Newark Liberty International are delayed by 15 minutes on average, also due to weather. Departures from the U.S. to Toronto Pearson International are seeing average delays of more than two hours.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared an emergency, citing the potential for ice, snow, freezing temperatures and strong winds that could cause travel disruptions, widespread power outages and other damage.In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency ahead of the rain and flooding hitting the state today. Just like September is the typical peak of hurricane season, this month is prime time for winter storms.Winter storm season stretches from fall through spring, but more happen in February than any other month.Read weather.com senior meteorologist Jon Erdman’s take on it here.About 25,000 homes, businesses and other utility customers are without power in Virginia, but not from today’s weather. Those outages are left from Winter Storm Harlow, which moved through earlier this week as part of the parade of storms pummeling the U.S. A photo shared to social media shows a vehicle underwater near Bowling Green, about halfway between Louisville, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee.From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles: Long-duration heavy rainfall combined with hilly to mountainous terrain is expected to put too much water in rivers and tributaries from the Ohio River to the Tennessee Valley through this evening. This has already resulted in some water rescues in Tennessee and Kentucky. The best thing you can do today is find an interior dry safe spot in a sturdy structure and hunker down there with some non-electronic entertainment for your family. Please do not drive through flooded areas for any reason. We don’t want to be reporting your rescue or recovery. Flooding may continue into the next few days in some areas and may even rise after the rains stop this weekend as water moves downriver. Strong winds and a blast of cold arctic air could spell disaster for trees and power lines as Winter Storm Jett moves northward. That means the time to prepare for heat and power outages is now. Before An Outage:During An OutageLike to be extra prepared? Check out these tips from a professional survival expert.A wintry mix of snow and sleet is falling across central Pennsylvania, making roads slick and hazardous. With up to three inches of accumulation expected, the National Weather Service is urging drivers to use caution on icy roads. The National Weather Service isn’t mincing words in its latest Flash Flood Warning for parts of Middle Tennessee. Heavy rain is causing dangerous flooding, which can be seen on radar. Up to three more inches is still expected. Residents of the following counties are being urged to stay alert and seek higher ground immediately:Cheatham CountyNorthwestern Davidson CountyDickson CountyHouston CountyHumphreys CountySouthern Montgomery CountySouthern Robertson CountyWest Central Sumner CountyFrom weather.com digital meteorologist Briana Waxman: Wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible through Sunday evening from the southern Appalachian mountains up through Washington, D.C., Boston and northern New York. These high winds are expected because this area of low pressure will intensify at a rapid rate, a process meteorologists call bombogenesis. This increases the difference in pressure between the storm and cold high pressure over the Canadian and U.S. Plains. More pressure difference means stronger winds in a “bomb cyclone.” A landslide triggered by heavy rain from Winter Storm Jett has partially blocked the West Kentucky Parkway, creating hazardous travel conditions. A separate slide, reported by police in West Virginia, came crashing down in a park. Officials believe it is still unstable as more rain threatens to worsen the situation.When meteorologists issue a “High Risk” for flooding, it means destructive and potentially deadly flooding – not just a rainy day.Nearly half of these types of forecasts result in flood-related deaths or injuries, and they account for more than $72.8 billion in damage over the last 15 years. “High risk” forecasts often mean floodwaters are expected to rise in places you’ve never seen flooding before – your commute, your yard, even inside your home. If you’re in a “High Risk” flood area: Stay alert, avoid travel and never drive through flooded roads (two-thirds of flash flood deaths happen in vehicles).Dive deeper into these types of flood forecasts here. The Governor of Virginia has deployed the National Guard to assist with flash flooding due to heavy rain in the southwestern part of the state.Video from East Tennessee shows flood waters rising and threatening homes.Flash flood warnings remain in effect for several Tennessee counties as heavy rain continues to pound the region.From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles: The southern, warmer section of Winter Storm Jett is getting organized across the South this afternoon. This organization will amplify the pull of moisture from the Gulf into the storm and also increase the severe weather threat this evening. By this evening, flooding is likely going to be ongoing across the mid-South while a squall line develops from Tennessee to Louisiana. That squall line will bring destructive wind gusts and several tornadoes to the South into the overnight hours. Parts of the Midwest are seeing heavy snow from the same storm dropping excess rain to the East. Take a look at current conditions in Chicago, where multiple waves of snow are expected through Sunday.As states like Tennessee and Kentucky look out for dangerous flooding today, here is a quick cheat sheet for understanding flood alerts:Particularly Dangerous Situation Flood Watch = Widespread significant flooding is possibleFlood Warning = Water is rising; There is a threat to life and propertyFlash Flood Emergency = Life-threatening flooding is occurring or is imminentAll three have either already been issued or have potential to be issued for parts of the U.S. throughout the day and into tonight.Alarming visuals are starting to emerge from parts of Kentucky, where heavy, inundating rain has begun to wash out roads.In Corbin, Kentucky, police are out blocking the streets after at least one car was stuck in floodwaters.Near the Tennessee border, in Guthrie, Kentucky, footage shows rushing waters overtaking streets and yards.We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good. 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Source: https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2025-02-15-live-updates-weekend-storm-snow-rain-flood-severe
