[citation needed] The flash floods and damaging wind elsewhere caused 34 deaths across six states including 19 in Kentucky, five in Ohio, five in Tennessee, two in Texas and three in West Virginia.
[citation needed] On March 1, 1997, very unstable air invaded much of the affected area while much warmer temperatures were recorded.
[3] Early on March 1, the SPC issued a tornado watch for portions of the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys.
The tornadoes affected parts of Clark, Hot Spring, Saline and Pulaski counties, killing a total of 21 people.
11 counties across Arkansas were declared federal disaster areas by then-US President Bill Clinton for tornadoes, with two others for flooding.
In Kentucky, then-governor Paul E. Patton had initially declared 120 counties a state of emergency and deployed about 1100 National Guard troops to the flood-stricken regions.