As communities in the central US grapple with widespread devastation from a line of deadly storms that spawned dozens of tornadoes this week, more grave threats to the region are underway: additional severe thunderstorms and relentless rain with the potential to trigger “generational” flooding into the weekend.

At least eight people in four states have been killed amid widespread storm destruction. The tornado threat has escalated, and life-threatening flash flooding will continue in the days ahead.

Deadly storms and flooding rains left a path of destruction across 14 states in the US South and Midwest, knocking out power to more than 400,000 customers.