At least 22 are dead and thousands of homes and hotels have been evacuated following weekend flooding in the US state of Tennessee.
Torrential rain caused the Cumberland River to burst its banks shutting down businesses in the state capital Nashville.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean urged residents to conserve water because one of the city's treatment plants had to be shut down after more than 30cm of rain fell.
US President Barack Obama has called Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and pledged a quick federal response to requests for support and expressed condolences for the loss of life.
Some victims were found in submerged vehicles or flooded homes, while others were swept away in flooding that officials said was the worst in the area in decades.
Hundreds of residents had to be rescued, many by boat.
Elsewhere, Mississippi was hit by violent spring weather for the second weekend in a row after ten people died in a powerful tornado that tore through Yazoo City.
