Severe Weather

Flooding, Severe Weather Blamed For More Than 20 Deaths In The South And Ohio Valley

Life-threatening flooding continued across the South and Ohio Valley Monday after days of rain and storms hit the regions. Rivers were cresting Monday at near-record levels and towns and cities were under mandatory evacuations. Several deaths have been connected to the weather since the rain and sev

Roaring Waterfall Blocks Road In Madison, Indiana

At least 21 deaths are being connected to days of severe storms and heavy rain across parts of the South and Midwest, where life-threatening river flooding continued and forced evacuations Monday.

Hundreds of roads were closed across Kentucky on Monday due to flooding, mudslides and rockslides. In some cities, such as Frankfort, Kentucky, the state’s capital, utilities have been shut off as the river reached a near-record cresting point.

(MORE: Deadly Floods, Tornadoes Across Midwest, South)

Of the 21 deaths reported as of Monday evening, 10 occurred in Tennessee. Three people were killed in Kentucky, including a 9-year-old boy who was swept away by floodwaters as he headed to catch his school bus. In Arkansas, a 5-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on his family’s home, according to police. And in Missouri, two were killed including a 16-year-old volunteer firefighter, according to The AP.

Indiana and Georgia each reported two weather-related deaths, and one also occurred in Mississippi.

Several locations around the South measured over 10 inches of rain over the last few days, with some seeing more than 15 inches, including Benton, Kentucky, and Hickory, Kentucky, according to NOAA.

Search and rescue firefighters conduct wellness checks in a neighborhood on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) — Search and rescue firefighters conduct wellness checks in a neighborhood on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Frankfort, Ky.
(AP Photo/Jon Cherry)

The Kentucky towns of Falmouth and Butler, both located near the Licking River, were under a mandatory evacuation. A state of emergency was declared in Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas.

(MORE: Building Floats Down Swollen Kentucky River)

Authorities pleaded with residents to stay off flooded roads, and some rescue workers were going from home to home in inflatable boats to check on residents.

Flooding wasn’t the only severe weather plaguing the area. Tornado warnings stretched across the South over the weekend, and one tornado was confirmed in Blue Springs, Mississippi. Another suspected tornado destroyed a mobile home and killed a woman in Jasper County, Mississippi.

Weather.com senior writer Jan Childs contributed to this report.