PADUCAH, Ky. – A slow-moving cold front is drenching western Kentucky with rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms through Tuesday morning, bringing a heightened flood risk across the region. The National Weather Service in Paducah said rainfall totals have increased overnight, with some areas expected to pick up 1 to 3 inches before storms taper Tuesday afternoon.
According to the NWS, training thunderstorms — storms repeatedly moving over the same areas — could lead to localized flooding, especially across the Kentucky Pennyrile and near low-lying roads. Communities from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Madisonville, Kentucky, are under the greatest threat, with steady downpours expected through the early morning hours Tuesday.
Drivers are urged to use caution during the morning commute and avoid flooded roadways. The weather service advises residents to keep devices charged and remain alert for potential Flash Flood Warnings.
Temperatures will stay mild, hovering in the low to mid-70s, before cooler, drier air arrives by midweek. Forecasters say additional rain chances could return late Thursday as another front develops over the Mississippi Valley.
