Rain-Weary Residents in Central U.S. Now at Risk of River Flooding

Last week's massive rain event across the Mississippi and Ohio valleys will continue to impact the region for weeks as the water from the small streams and secondary tributaries flows into the largest rivers. Meanwhile, cleanup efforts are being complicated by a surge of unseasonably cold temperatures. Here is a look at where the flooding threat stands now.

Fatality Count for Last Week's Severe Weather Now Stands at 24

The rain may have ended across the central U.S. but the runoff from the up to 16 inches of rainfall last week will continue to flow into the largest waterways in the region. The result will be moderate to major flooding that may linger through April.

The latest death toll from last week's flooding event stands at 24 people. Ten of these fatalities happened in Tennessee. Of the three people killed in Kentucky, one was a 9-year-old boy who was swept off his feet by raging floodwaters as he was walking to catch his school bus.

Additionally, a 5-year-old boy died in Arkansas when a tree crashed down on his home. Two people died in Missouri, including a volunteer firefighter who was only 16 years old.

Weather experts said that the amount of rain that was unleashed across the impacted area only happens once every 100 to 1,000 years. Estimates now put the economic loss over the last week between $80 billion and $90 billion. Unfortunately, not all of these losses will be covered by insurance. Homeowners with specific flood insurance policies will fare the best in trying to recoup the costs.

The rain began to fall in sheets last Wednesday. Cities such as Memphis saw an entire spring's worth of rainfall in a few days. On Saturday alone, over one dozen new daily rainfall records were broken across Arkansas and Tennessee. For example, the Arkansas capital city of Little Rock recorded over six inches of rain on Saturday. Memphis saw 5.47 inches of rain, making it the rainiest day ever for the city in the month of April.

In addition to the bands of heavy moisture, the weather maker also generated several tornadoes across the nation's heartland. The National Weather Service (NWS) rated at least five dozen tornadoes since the beginning of the weather event. Five of these twisters were rated as an EF3 or higher.

Some parts of Kentucky have seen their water supplies compromised as a result of the storms. Safe water supplies in Mercer County are running low due to contamination issues.