At least 16 people have died in severe storms in the US Mideast. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the coming days on Saturday.
Several tornadoes have hit the region in recent days. The storms have damaged many buildings and flooded roads in an area stretching from Arkansas to Ohio. Tennessee has been hit hardest by the adverse weather. State authorities said on Saturday that 10 people have died in the western part of the state.
In addition, two people have died in flooding in Kentucky, including a child, according to state Governor Andy Beshear. The child was swept away by floodwaters.
Photos shared on social media and local media showed extensive damage from the storm in several states. Homes, trees and power lines were downed and cars were overturned.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said severe and widespread flash flooding was expected in parts of the Midwest on Sunday, with authorities warning of extreme risk to life and property.
Two deaths were reported in Missouri and one in Indiana due to the storm, according to local media reports and authorities.
The state’s emergency management agency said in a statement that “the body of a 5-year-old child was found at a home in Little Rock, Arkansas, during the ongoing severe weather.”
Kentucky Governor Beshear urged residents of his state to “avoid traveling and driving through water” on social media on Saturday.
Millions of customers in Arkansas and Tennessee were without power as of early Sunday morning, according to tracking website PowerOutage.
The NWS said on Saturday that “moderate to severe tornadoes, along with severe thunderstorms,” could develop in parts of the Tennessee Valley and Lower Mississippi Valley on Sunday.
Scientists say global warming is disrupting the natural climate and water cycle, making extreme weather events more frequent and more devastating.
The United States saw record-breaking temperatures last year, along with a string of tornadoes and devastating hurricanes.