April US floods & SCS to drive hundreds of millions in insured losses: Aon

Persistent flooding and severe weather across parts of the Mississippi River Valley from April 2 to 7 are expected to result in insured losses reaching into the hundreds of millions of USD, according to Aon’s weekly catastrophe report.

Continuous storm development along a stagnant frontal boundary during this period brought heavy rainfall from eastern Texas to Ohio, sparking widespread flash and river flooding over these parts with dozens of communities inundated.

Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas were among the hardest-hit states. Some areas received more than a foot (305 mm) of rain, while several locations in Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois recorded over 10 inches (254 mm). The towns of Benton and Hickory in far western Kentucky saw the highest storm total rainfall, exceeding 15 inches (381 mm).

The National Weather Service issued six flash flood emergencies—the highest level of flood warning—across six states, including the metro areas of Little Rock and Memphis.

Persistent storm development also produced severe weather across the region. Between April 4-7, the Storm Prediction Center received over 340 storm reports, primarily from the southeast and south-central US. From April 2-7, the National Weather Service confirmed around 128 tornadoes.

Since April 2, 25 fatalities have been attributed to the flooding and storms.

In Kentucky, at least 150 people were rescued from floodwaters and 270 others were evacuated. As of April 10, more than 800 homes still lack running water, and 4,000 more remain under boil water notices. In Frankfort, the overflowing Kentucky River caused major damage to historic homes and businesses, including a large distillery. Tornado and flood damage was also reported in Jefferson County, which contains the Louisville metro area.

In Tennessee, around 70,000 customers lost power. Flooding in Clarksville damaged at least 225 homes and several commercial buildings. Memphis also saw notable flood damage, and more than 100 people were rescued in Bogota. Boil water advisories were issued across multiple counties due to damage to water treatment facilities, including Fayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale, Obion, and Tipton. In Selmer, McNairy County, an EF-3 tornado damaged at least 332 structures, 108 of which were destroyed.

In Arkansas, more than 100 water rescues and 150 evacuations took place in West Memphis and Earle. Northern and central parts of the state, including Hardy, were badly affected. At least 70 highways were temporarily closed, and two large train derailments were reported. Sixteen people were injured across the state.

Additional flooding was reported in Ohio and Texas, where property damage and multiple water rescues were observed in Cincinnati and Texarkana, respectively. Widespread inundation was also seen in southern Indiana, southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and northern Mississippi.

Aon stated, “Given initial assessments conducted across the affected areas, total economic and insured losses will likely reach into the hundreds of millions USD, potentially higher as more information becomes available.”

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