More than 100 million Americans were under alerts Sunday for flooding, mudslides, snow and strong winds as dangerous winter weather left tens of thousands without power throughout the South and contributed to at least eight deaths in Kentucky.
Heavy rain continued to produce serious flooding across parts of the Southern United States on Sunday, where rapidly rising floodwaters inundated roadways and spurred some evacuations. Meanwhile, snow and sleet made for messy weather in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with Burlington, Vermont, getting 8.5 inches of snow and Massena, New York, receiving 8.4 inches of fresh powder from the weekend storm.
Throughout Saturday and into Sunday, there were numerous flash flood warnings issued across parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and North Carolina.
The impact from flooding in his state is “massive,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday in a statement on X.
During a news conference Sunday afternoon, Beshear confirmed eight weather-related deaths across the state, with one of them being a child. He said two of the deaths resulted from weather-related motor-vehicle accidents and the other six fatalities occurred in floodwater accidents.
He described the deadly storm as, “one of the most serious weather events we’ve dealt with in at least a decade.”
On Sunday afternoon, search-and-rescue operations were continuing in Kentucky with 19 swift-water teams deployed in multiple counties. Beshear said that first responders had made more than 1,000 rescues.
Beshear said all 120 counties in the state have been impacted by the storm. He said two nursing homes were evacuated, including one where state police evacuated 100 patients.
Earlier, state officials said serious flooding around Panbowl Lake in Jackson — about 85 miles southeast of Lexington — led to the evacuation of a nursing home and a hospital as precautions.
Beshear said that 146 state National Guard soldiers and airmen were deployed in 16 counties and that 300 state and federal roads were blocked due to flooding and landslide damage.
On Sunday afternoon, nearly 450,000 customers spread across Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee were without power Sunday morning, according to Poweroutage.us.
At least 23,125 utility customers in Kentucky remained without power as of 4:10 p.m. ET Sunday, according to Poweroutage.us.
An additional 9,800 customers were without water and some residents were advised only to consume boiled water, he said.
In advance of the heavy rainfall and widespread flooding, Beshear issued a state of emergency.
He also said he wrote to President Donald Trump “requesting an emergency disaster declaration for Kentucky due to the severe weather and impacts across our state.” Trump signed the declaration Saturday night, releasing federal funds to aid the response, Beshear said.
The governor said he had also spoken to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the acting director of FEMA.
Parts of western Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee reported receiving 4 to 7 inches of rain Saturday night into Sunday. The area around Clarksville, Tennessee, northwest of Nashville, reported getting around 7.6 inches of rain.
The Louisville Metro Police Department said its river patrol and diving teams were working with local fire departments to conduct water rescues “throughout the city.”
In Tennessee, more than 50 residents of a nursing home in Macon County, about 65 miles northeast of Nashville, were evacuated to higher ground after rising water began to approach, according to the Macon County Emergency Medical Services.
Joe Pitts, the mayor of Clarksville, Tennessee, said in a statement that close to 4 inches of rain caused “alarming scenes of flash flooding” in the area. Up to 2 more inches of rain was expected Sunday evening, Pitts said.
The National Weather Service extended a flash flood emergency for several counties in West Virginia and in southwestern Virginia through Sunday, calling the flash flooding an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”
In the town of Richlands, in southwestern Virginia’s Tazewell County, residents were encouraged to evacuate, according to the local police department.
“Multiple areas of the town are currently experiencing flooding, with the river expected to rise even higher,” the police department said in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon. “Residents in previously flooded areas are strongly advised to evacuate at once. Evacuation should not be postponed.”
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears said National Air guardsmen and soldiers had been deployed to help the response. “Don’t try to outrun a flood or anything,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “Get the higher ground if you need to.”
In West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in 10 counties. Evacuations were also ordered in southern West Virginia, with the Blue Stone River experiencing major flooding near Spanishburg.
In areas affected by heavy rain, landslides and rockslides are possible.
Storms with damaging winds and flash flooding were the main threats, but there was also the possibility of tornadoes.
Residents were urged to pay attention to severe weather warnings as the tornado risk continued into Sunday for parts of Georgia. Warnings could be extended east to the Atlantic coastline as the storms progress.
Snow and ice in the Northeast
Meanwhile, snow moved into portions of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Saturday afternoon and into Sunday, and conditions were expected to deteriorate.
The snow in many parts of the Northeast was changing to sleet and rain as this system moved through the Northeast on Sunday.
The switch from snow to sleet and rain will create slushy conditions and hazardous travel.
As of Sunday afternoon, Burlington, Vermont, had received 8.5 inches of snow from the weekend storm and Massena, New York, got 8.4 inches of fresh powder. Meanwhile, Boston recorded 5.4 inches; Simsbury, Connecticut, got 6 inches; Somerset, Pennsylvania, received 5.4 inches; and New York City’s Central Park got a half-inch of snow.
80 million under wind alerts
High wind alerts are in effect for more than 80 million people across 22 states for Sunday and Monday.
Gusts of up to 60 mph are possible in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic through Sunday night, while gusts of up to 45 mph are possible in the Southeast.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Atlanta at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday. Wind gusts at the city’s Mercedes Benz Stadium were recorded up to 71 mph.
Brutal cold forcast for the Plains
An Arctic blast is expected to send temperatures plunging across the Great Plains through this coming week, reaching as far south as Texas.
Cold weather alerts are in effect for 40 million people from North Dakota to Texas.
By Tuesday morning, sub-zero wind chills will be felt across portions of 24 states.
Dozens of record-low temperatures are possible in the central United States from Tuesday through Friday, with actual lows as cold as minus 30 degrees in parts of North Dakota and Minnesota.
>ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Josh Richardson contributed to this report.
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