Deadly storms and freezing cold grips Southeastern US, killing 13

United States: A mother and a seven-year-old child are among the 13 dead due to harsh weather conditions over the weekend in several parts of the Southeastern United States. According to the reports, storms and severe flooding have significantly hit Kentucky, Georgia and Tennessee, leaving several dead and hundreds of others in urgent need of rescue. 

The torrential downpours drenched parts of the south-eastern US, submerging roads and houses. Reportedly, around 1,000 people stranded in flood waters had to be rescued on Sunday.  

🇺🇸 The Kentucky floods have claimed the lives of at least 9 people 💔 pic.twitter.com/NI2RBfqv0C

— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) February 17, 2025

According to a senior forecaster, parts of Tennessee and Kentucky received over 15cm of rain over the weekend and the effects are anticipated to continue for a while.  

Kentucky Governor urges precaution 

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said that 12 people have died in his state, after making an emergency disaster declaration. One other death was reported in Georgia, where a man lying in his bed was struck by an extremely large tree which crashed into his home. 

I’ve got more tough news. The death toll in Kentucky has now risen to 12. We must remember, this isn’t just a number — these are Kentuckians who will be missed by their families and loved ones. Please pray for our commonwealth and our neighbors who have lost people they love.

— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) February 17, 2025

He called the disaster as one of the most serious weather events which the government is dealing with in at least a decade. Several of the deaths were caused due to cars getting stuck in high water, added the Governor.  

Louisville’s Breckenridge Lane near Six Mile closed due to flooding. Four cars were trapped; here’s two. Lots of areas experiencing floods after Saturday’s rain. Updates:https://t.co/7XuOKw7UHV pic.twitter.com/PFR403Eccr

— Matt Stone (@mattstonephotog) February 16, 2025

Beshear asked everyone to stay off the roads right now and stay alive adding that this is the search and rescue phase, and he is proud of all the locals who are out there responding and putting their lives on the line.  

Life Threatening cold hits parts of US following the deadly weekend 

On Monday, the National Weather Service warned of life-threatening cold as wind chills fell to minus 60 Fahrenheit in some parts of North Dakota and minus 50 F in parts of Montana. Weather experts have forecasted that Tuesday morning will be even colder. 

Moreover, cold warnings were issued for an 11-state swath of the United States, stretching from the Canadian border to Oklahoma and central Texas, where the Arctic front was anticipated to bring near-record cold temperatures and wind chills by midweek.  

Forecasters are further predicting that parts of the country are likely to experience the 10th and coldest polar vortex event this year.  

Search and Rescue Operations continue across southeastern US 

Meanwhile, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina were under some type of storm-related alert during the weekend. Almost all of these states also suffered catastrophic damage in September due to Hurricane Helene.  

Hundreds and thousands of homes also ended up without water – a number which reduced to tens of thousands early on Monday, according to the Power Outage US company.  

Presently, officials are warning that the death toll is likely to increase as search and rescue operations continue across the most affected countries.