Freezing temps to hamper recovery in areas devastated by deadly floods, tornadoes

Frost and freeze warnings are up for most of the areas that were impacted by flooding and severe storms from the past week. Low temperatures Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning will drop into the 30s and 40s. Across Kentucky and the upper Ohio Valley, temperatures may drop below freezing Tuesday and Wednesday morning. However, temperatures will get back up into the 50s during the afternoons.

Those who have been displaced or are cleaning up from deadly flooding and severe storms from the past week will have to contend with dangerously cold temperatures as recovery efforts get underway.

Some 29 million people are under frost and freeze alerts in an area covering large portions of Missouri, northern Arkansas, West Tennessee, southern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky through at least Tuesday morning.

On Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear warned people not to let their guard down even though most of the rain has passed.

“This is going to be a dangerous night where temperatures fall,” he said.

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“If you’re trying to ride this out somewhere where it’s wet, if you’re trying to ride this out in a home that’s had water, tonight could raise concerns of hypothermia,” Beshear warned. “Find a safe place to go. We have plenty of shelters. You can call a family member or a friend.”

Low temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are forecast to drop into the 30s and 40s in many areas. Across Kentucky and the upper Ohio Valley, temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing on both of those mornings, according to the FOX Forecast Center. 

“If it’s going to get down to the 20s, we need you to be dry and warm so you can work on digging out and mucking out tomorrow,” Beshear said.

Falling temperatures will have the most impact on those without power, people who have been displaced by storm damage and the unhoused.

Mandatory evacuations are still in effect for several Kentucky counties, as the threat of river flooding increases for large portions of the Mississippi, Ohio and Tenneesee valleys.

According to FindEnergy.com, some 24,000 customers were still without power in parts of Arkansas as of Monday afternoon.

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While morning and evening temperatures will be closer to freezing, daytime heating will bring the temperature back up into the 50s during the afternoons. 

The weather pattern will also keep the recovery zone mostly rain-free.

Dry conditions will persist through Wednesday before a weak system returns, potentially bringing a few light showers to the region from Thursday into Friday, but dry weather should return soon after. 

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Looking further down the road, warm temperatures are expected to gradually move from the Rockies into the central U.S. next week, according to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

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