How Extreme Rainfall Transformed Tennessee and Kentucky Overnight
February 19, 2025 | Source: SciTech Daily | by Adam Voiland, NASA Earth Observatory
A powerful storm swept through the U.S. Southeast on February 15-16, bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall, and severe flash flooding to parts of Tennessee and Kentucky.
According to the National Weather Service, some areas received up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain within 48 hours. Government data confirmed that multiple rivers in both states experienced moderate to major flooding.
Satellite Images Reveal Swollen Rivers
Satellite imagery from Landsat 9’s OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) captured the extent of the flooding in western Tennessee on February 17, 2025 (upper image above). A false-color image highlights swollen rivers compared to a previous view from January 24, 2025 (lower image above). The 7-5-4 band combination used in the imagery helps differentiate water, land, and vegetation. In the February 17 image, floodwaters appear light blue due to high sediment content. The water-covered fields visible in Missouri are primarily rice fields.