Severe Storm in the South and Midwest Causes Flooding and Deaths: What to Know

Weather|What to Know About the Destructive Spring Storm System

Heavy rain and fierce winds have been pummeling the central and southeastern United States for more than five days, leaving a trail of death, damage and disruption across parts of 19 states.

The storm system, born of warm air, strong winds, abundant moisture and an unstable atmosphere, drenched the middle of the country through the weekend, devastating communities from Texas to Ohio with flooding and tornadoes.

The storm is now shifting eastward toward the Atlantic coast, and it is expected to start moving out to sea on Monday and Tuesday, leaving behind enough fallen rain to keep rivers and streams swelling for days to come.

Here’s what to know about the destructive storm system.

Many states have been drenched by heavy rain for days.

The heavy rain from the storm lasted for days in many areas, saturating the ground and engorging streams and rivers with much more runoff than they could handle.

The United States and other parts of the world have seen an increase in the frequency of extreme rainstorms as the world warms. And the frequency is likely to increase as warming continues. One basic reason is that warmer air holds more moisture.