A round of severe and life-threatening storms is expected to sweep through much of Kentucky between Wednesday night and Saturday, likely bringing severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and flash-flooding. That includes possibly up to 15 inches of rain in some parts of Western Kentucky, forecasters warn.

Up to 59 million from Texas to Michigan are under severe storm risk as heavy rains, flash flooding and strong tornadoes are forecast to hit the lower Ohio Valley and the mid-South.

The Kentucky flood of March 1997 was one of the deadliest weather events in the state’s history. Large amounts of rain fell on central Kentucky and southern Indiana from late February through early March that year.

"Copious" rainfall is expected to batter Kentucky and the Ohio River valley in the coming days, forecasters said, risking major flooding.

"This isn’t routine," the National Weather Service in Memphis said. "This is a rare, high-impact, and potentially devastating event."

A life-threatening outbreak of long-lived and strong tornadoes is expected today in parts of the central and eastern US from a powerful, wide-reaching spring storm.

A significant and potentially dangerous weather pattern is forecast for our region, starting today and continuing through the weekend.

The rest of the commonwealth, which includes part of south-central Kentucky and the majority of east Kentucky, will be hit last sometime after 4 a.m. Cities in this area include Morehead, Ashland, Jackson, Pikeville, Harlan, London and Russell Springs.

These winds, combined with a strong low-level jet, will set the stage for severe storms arriving late tonight. The Storm Prediction Center has placed parts of central and northern Kentucky under a Level 3 out of 5 Severe Risk,

Potentially deadly flash flooding, high-magnitude tornadoes and baseball-sized hail could hit parts of the Midwest and South on Wednesday.