At least 18 fatalities and widespread destruction have resulted from severe storms and relentless rainfall, leading to catastrophic flooding across the central United States. The affected states include Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana, and Mississippi.
So far, two fatalities have been reported in the Ozarks. A 57-year-old man from O’Fallon and a 45-year-old man from West Plains both drowned in floodwaters in West Plains.
Tennessee has experienced the highest number of casualties, with 10 deaths reported. The extreme flooding was caused by a stationary front creating unstable atmospheric conditions, combined with large amounts of Gulf moisture. These storms dumped nearly half a foot of rainfall over the Springfield metro area, while several locations in Howell County received more than 10 inches of rain in a very short period…