An outbreak of severe weather and widespread flooding in central U.S. states has done $80 billion to $90 billion in total damage and economic loss, according to a preliminary estimate by AccuWeather.
The damage comes from a rare atmospheric river that funneled extreme rainfall into the central United States, combined with a multiday severe weather and tornado outbreak over the same region due to a series of slow-moving storms, the firm said.
AccuWeather meteorologists say the atmospheric river, thunderstorms moving over the same areas, and rounds of downpours unleashed 8-16 inches of rainfall and even higher localized amounts around 20 inches in communities over a widespread area across Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana from April 2 to April 6.
The resulting flash flooding caused damage to homes and businesses, disruptions to commerce and supply chain logistics, impacts to shipping operations at major hubs, financial losses from extended power outages, major travel delays, and damage to infrastructure. Specifically, roads and railroad tracks across the region have been damaged, even washed away in some spots, by the force of fast-moving and rising floodwaters. The damage, until repaired, can have long-lasting impacts on commerce routes and shipping logistics in the region.
“A rare atmospheric river continually resupplying a firehose of deep tropical moisture into the central U.S., combined with a series of storms traversing the same area in rapid succession, created a “perfect storm” for catastrophic flooding and devastating tornadoes,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in a release. “We’re heartbroken by the loss of life and destruction from this once-in-a-generation storm. Houses and businesses were destroyed by tornadoes. Homes and vehicles were swept away by fast-moving floodwaters. Bridges and roadways were washed out or destroyed in some areas. Travel, commerce and business operations were significantly disrupted. It will take years for some of the hardest-hit communities to recover.”
