After bout of tornadoes, US confronted with deluge as towns get submerged

Swelled rivers flooding towns in south after prolonged period of rain

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FRANKFORT: Days of unrelenting downpours swelled rivers to near record levels across Kentucky on Monday, submerging neighborhoods and threatening a famed bourbon distillery in the state capital.

Inundated rivers posed the latest threat from persistent storms that have killed at least 23 people since last week as they doused the region with heavy rain and spawned destructive tornadoes.

At least 157 tornadoes struck within seven days beginning March 30, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service. Though the storms have finally moved on, the flood danger remains high in several other states, including parts of Tennessee, Arkansas and Indiana.