Deadly Storm Causes Catastrophic Floods, Tornadoes, Winds, Widespread Damage

Flooding in Kentucky killed at least eight people over the
weekend as an intense winter storm spread havoc to
most places in the central and eastern U.S. 

 The storm affecting us in Vermont also as expected caused deadly havoc in other parts of the nation as moves coast to coast. 

At least eight deaths have been reported in Kentucky due to the flooding. The death toll could rise as flooding is still ongoing as of this afternoon. 

All of Kentucky was under a flood warning this morning, as was much of West Virginia and parts of Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee.

To add insult to injury. snow fell in much of Kentucky Sunday as flood waters continued to swirl. Louisville suffered widespread flooding Saturday. Sunday morning, snow swept into the city, helping to cause on a highway in the city. 

On Sunday, a levee along the Obion River failed near the town of Rives, rapidly flooding the town and forcing hasty water rescues. 

Mudslides were reported in eastern Kentucky, and a rockslide temporarily shut down Interstate 69 in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. 

Damaging floods also extended into western Virginia. 

 Also, depending on where you were in West Virginia, you might be under a flood warning, a blizzard warning or possibly both. 

Further south, tornadoes and severe weather were the issue. 

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport reported a gust to 69 mph during the early morning storms.   At least one death was reported in Atlanta where a tree fell on a house. 

Two confirmed tornadoes were reported near Monticello, Georgia, southeast of Atlanta. 

A remarkably huge area is under high wind warnings or wind advisories. They extended this morning from Mississippi and Florida all the way through New England. 

As of late afternoon, at least 310,000 power outages were reported, mostly in Virginia, Georgia, Alabama and West Virginia 

Meanwhile, intense cold was plunging southward through the Plains. 

Parts of North Dakota were expecting three consecutive nights in the minus 30s, with wind chills in the 50s below zero. 

Frigid temperatures are plunging south into Texas. Extreme cold weather watches for expected wind chills below zero are in effect as far south as central Texas. 

In the snowy, icy Northeast, a blizzard warning was in effect for the mountains of south central Pennsylvania where heavy snow was forecast to combine with winds up to 65 mph. A blizzard warning was also up in the northwest corner of New York around Massena. 

I'll have an update on the storm in Vermont very late this afternoon or early evening.