CNN —

Nighttime water rescue teams have been activated in regions affected by severe rainfall as a strong storm moves through the eastern United States early Sunday, raising concerns of potentially life-threatening floods and destructive tornadoes.

Footage from various states shows uprooted trees, vehicles partially submerged in floodwaters, and homes that are inundated.

In Kentucky, authorities reported historic water levels as the storm intensified on Saturday, just two years after disastrous flooding resulted in 43 fatalities and devastated many areas of the state.

“First responders have conducted nearly 30 water rescues today, and the count continues to rise,” stated the Louisville Metro Police Department in a recent Facebook update. Crews in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, were seen assisting a driver trapped in a flooded vehicle.

Flash flood emergencies and warnings remain in effect for parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee through Sunday morning, with flood watches anticipated to extend into Monday in some locations.

Numerous tornado warnings were issued late Saturday across Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.

As of early Sunday, over 150,000 customers in Alabama, nearly 60,000 in Mississippi, and more than 32,000 in Louisiana experienced power outages, according to PowerOutage.us. Additionally, over 35,000 residents remained without power in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Tragically, at least one death has been reported – a 73-year-old man from Manchester, Kentucky, who perished in the Horse Creek area after being swept away by heavy floodwaters Saturday night. According to the Clay County Coroner’s Office, the individual attempted to drive across Kentucky Highway 8 but was unable to make it.

Authorities reported that the man exited his vehicle only to be caught in the strong currents, as per the coroner’s office information shared with CNN.

Severe thunderstorms are expected to persist into Sunday morning, possibly bringing damaging winds from Florida through the Mid-Atlantic regions.

Although the storm that has also affected areas of California is expected to subside by Monday, some locations in the Great Lakes may experience lake-effect snow as a result. These storms could generate damaging wind gusts and an increased risk of tornadoes.

A rare level 4-of-4 warning for a high risk of flooding rainfall is currently in effect for over 1.5 million residents in parts of northwestern Tennessee and western Kentucky, where “life-threatening and significant flooding is projected,” according to the Weather Prediction Center.

Such severe weather alerts are issued on less than 4% of days annually, yet they account for more than 80% of all flood-related damages and approximately 40% of flood-related fatalities, according to research by the WPC.

The heightened threat level arises from an “unusual mid-February atmospheric setup,” which could lead to rainfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour in the most severe storms. Up to half a foot of rain is expected to accumulate in the high-risk zones where heavier rainfall might remain stationary for extended periods.

Most areas are unable to absorb such high rainfall amounts without flooding; recent storms have already saturated the ground in this region, exacerbating the risk.

On Saturday, more than 500 miles stretching from eastern Arkansas to West Virginia were under a level 3 out of 4 risk for flooding rainfall, as stated by the weather center.

In response to the crisis, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in 10 counties and a state of preparedness across all 55 counties on Saturday, while the National Guard has been deployed in Virginia to support recovery efforts.

As of Saturday afternoon, many streets in Kentucky were already flooded, with some areas receiving between 2 to 4 inches of rain. Water levels are projected to continue rising throughout the evening.

In Jackson, Kentucky, significant flooding has overflowed the 75-acre Panbowl Lake, prompting urgent evacuations of the area, including a nursing home and a hospital.

Residents from the Letcher Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in Whitesburg, Kentucky, were temporarily relocated to a local high school. The nursing home issued a message on Facebook assuring families they would be informed about arrangements for their loved ones.

Floodwaters surged through thoroughfares in various cities across Simpson County, Kentucky. In Adair County, officials reported the closure of numerous roads due to flooding.

Reflecting on past severe flooding that devastated his home in late 2022, Knott County resident Danny Laferty expressed his anxiety, fearing he might “lose everything again.”

“It was horrific, devastating. We had mud six inches deep here,” Laferty said during an interview on Saturday. “That’s what makes me feel so uneasy.”

CNN’s Kia Fatahi, Jennifer Feldman, and Taylor Galgano contributed to this report.