A powerful storm system tore across the central and southern United States on Wednesday, producing at least 19 tornadoes and killing two people in Tennessee, while leaving more than 400,000 customers without electricity and prompting emergency declarations across multiple states. The National Weather Service warned the event may be only the beginning of a multi-day outbreak featuring "catastrophic and potentially historic" rainfall and life-threatening flooding from Texas to Michigan.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency confirmed fatalities in McNairy and Obion Counties. In Arkansas, four people were injured in Craighead County, and four more-including one critically-were injured when a tornado hit a church in Ballard County, Kentucky. Local officials said multiple buildings were destroyed across the impacted regions.
Reports of tornadoes came from Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas, Indiana, and Tennessee, with Missouri alone accounting for 10 confirmed sightings. The National Weather Service labeled the event as a "high risk" severe weather day, the most serious level on its 0-5 scale, used only for the most extreme outbreaks.
In Nevada, Missouri, a tornado caused "major damage to several businesses," flipped empty train cars, and snapped power poles, according to the Missouri Emergency Management Agency. BNSF Railway said it received reports of a freight train derailment near Bay, Arkansas, though the cause remains unclear.
The town of Lake City, Arkansas, reported a large tornado on the ground, with several structures destroyed, although no injuries or deaths were immediately confirmed. In Brownsburg, Indiana, multiple workers had to be rescued after a warehouse roof collapsed, while several semitrailers were blown over near South Bend.
Flood warnings are growing more dire. Forecasts call for up to 38 centimeters (15 inches) of rain in some areas, raising fears of what officials are calling a "generational flood event." Rivers across Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee are at risk of overtopping their banks by the weekend, threatening communities already dealing with storm damage.
"This is a large expanse of storms migrating slowly to the east, stretching from southeast Michigan down into southeastern Arkansas," said Scott Kleebauer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "The word for tonight is 'chaotic.'"
On Wednesday, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee each declared a state of emergency. In Indiana, significant storm damage was reported near Indianapolis. The NWS said survey teams would determine whether destruction in those areas was caused by tornadoes or straight-line winds.
