Parts of the South and Midwest, still reeling from violent storms, tornadoes and flooding that have killed at least eight people this week, faced an ongoing threat of catastrophic flooding Friday that forecasters said would stretch into the weekend.

A significant weather event is unfolding across the central United States, with forecasters warning of the potential for historic flooding as rounds of torrential downpours are expected to persist through much of the weekend.

The National Weather Service warned on Thursday of "generational" floods in the U.S. South and Midwest as storms ripped across a swath of the country from Texas to Michigan, whipping up tornadoes and killing two people.