At Least 9 Dead From Flooding in Southeast as Storms Rip Through Nation

A partially submerged car outside of Bowling Green, Ky., on Feb. 15, 2025. Warren County Sheriff's Office via AP

Large portions of the United States were hit by wild winter weather on Feb. 16, with torrential downpours flooding Kentucky and killing at least nine in the Southeast. Tornado watches were issued for parts of Florida and Georgia, while the northern Plains faced frigid temperatures.

Two deaths involved a mother and her 7-year-old child when flood waters swept away their car in Hart County, Kentucky, near Interstate 65, a county official told WBKO-TV. Hart County Coroner Tony Roberts said they died on the evening of Feb. 15 in the Bonnieville community.

Another death involved a 73-year-old man in southeastern Kentucky. He was found dead in floodwaters in Clay County, according to County Emergency Management Deputy Director Revelle Berry.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on Feb. 16 that his request for disaster relief funding was approved by President Donald Trump.

Up to six inches of rain fell onto portions of Kentucky and Tennessee over the weekend, according to National Weather Service senior forecaster Bob Oravec.

“The effects will continue for awhile, a lot of swollen streams and a lot of flooding going on,” Oravec said on Feb. 16. “Any time there’s flooding, the flooding can last a lot longer than the rain lasts.”

Tornado watches were in effect early on Feb. 16 in parts of Georgia and Florida as severe storms swept through, the National Weather Service said.

A fourth death occurred in Atlanta after an “extremely large tree” fell on a home early on Feb. 16, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue Capt. Scott Powell. Firefighters were dispatched to the area just before 5 a.m. local time following a 911 call, he said.

The northern Plains near the Canadian border are expected to experience frigid temperatures in the minus 30s F. Windchill temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees F and minus 50 degrees F are expected for the Dakotas and Minnesota, respectively.

Parts of New England and northern New York will likely see heavy snowfall, with some areas seeing wind gusts as high as 60 mph, creating “hazardous whiteout conditions,” the National Weather Service stated.

Kentucky Hit With Severe Flooding

Floodwaters left cars and buildings submerged in Kentucky as mudslides obstructed roads in Virginia late Feb. 15 into the morning of Feb. 16. Both states, along with Tennessee and Arkansas, were under flood warnings, and the National Weather Service warned residents to avoid roadways.

By early morning on Feb. 16, snow had replaced the heavy rains in Kentucky.

Beshear declared a state of emergency in Kentucky ahead of the storms, with flash floods expected into Feb. 16.

“Widespread flooding is continuing,” the governor wrote in a post on social platform X on the morning of Feb. 16. “The statewide impact is massive, with hundreds of water rescues and multiple fatalities.”

He said evacuations for people in affected areas would continue on Feb. 16 and told residents to be careful if they have to travel.

The Kentucky River Medical Center in Jackson was transferring patients to two other nearby hospitals after closing its emergency department. The hospital said it would reassess weather conditions on the morning of Feb. 16 before deciding whether it could safely reopen. The National Weather Service said the north fork of the Kentucky River was forecast to crest almost 14 feet above flood stage on the afternoon of Feb. 16.

Authorities and residents posted photos to social media showing cars and buildings underwater in both south-central and eastern Kentucky. Multiple roads were impeded by mudslides in Buchanan County, Virginia, according to the sheriff’s office.

In a post on Facebook, the Simpson County Office of Emergency Management in Kentucky described efforts to rescue residents in several vehicles stalled by the floodwaters.

“Stay home if you can,” the office wrote in the post.

Frigid Temperatures Batter the North

Toward the north, heavy snow was expected to cover much of New England before turning to sleet.

The region’s snowfall was fairly light because of the freezing rain and sleet mix, Oravec said on Feb. 16.

The prior day, snow and arctic temperatures blanketed much of the Midwest and Upper Plains. Roads in eastern Nebraska, northern Iowa, and much of Wisconsin were covered with snow as winter weather advisories were issued for portions of those states and for Michigan. Up to four inches of snow are forecast for Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and most of Michigan by the night of Feb. 16.

The United States was about to see its 10th and coldest polar vortex stretching event this season, according to meteorologists, with the northern Plains and northern Rockies among the first to be hit. Arctic weather patterns are combining to push chilly air that often stays near the North Pole into much of Europe and the United States.

With weekend temperatures expected to drop as low as 14 degrees F in Denver, city officials opened shelters for the homeless.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.