Powerful tornadoes and torrential rains battered multiple U.S. states Wednesday, collapsing structures, uprooting infrastructure, and leaving over 400,000 households without electricity. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed at least 15 tornado reports across four states, with Kentucky and Arkansas reporting eight storm-related injuries.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a statewide emergency as hail and flash floods compounded destruction. Meteorologists warned of worsening conditions, labeling the developing system as a 'generational flood event' with forecasts predicting up to 38.1 cm of rainfall in parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Mississippi by weekend.
'The word for tonight is chaotic,' said NWS meteorologist Scott Kleebauer, describing a 1,200-km storm front stretching from Michigan to Arkansas. In Nevada, Missouri, a tornado derailed empty train cars and demolished commercial buildings according to state emergency reports.
Over 400 storm alerts remain active as the system moves eastward, with critical flood risks threatening river basins. PowerOutage.us reported massive disruptions across the South-Central states, while officials urged residents to avoid travel and heed evacuation advisories.
