Axios

At least 4 people across the Midwest have died from historic flooding in the region, while heavy rain and flash flood watches go into effect across America's South on Saturday morning.

Why now: These floods are the result of spring snowmelt and a series of storms that have added to the amount of water flowing into the Mississippi River.

Cyclone Fani barreled ashore in India as a Category 4 storm early Friday, bringing extreme winds and storm surge flooding to the city of Puri and points to the north and east, but a threat looms for a more far-flung location: the Himalayas.

The big picture: This is climbing season on Mt. Everest and other peaks nearby, as dozens of elite — and some not-so-elite — climbers attempt to summit the tallest mountains in the world. Although Fani is tracking toward the northeast, along India's coast toward Kolkata and Bangladesh, the storm is also pushing a surge of moisture-laden air from near the equator toward the Himalayas. This could result in heavy snows that may endanger climbers.

Tropical Cyclone Fani made landfall near the city of Puri, India, early Friday morning as a fierce Category 4 storm. Reuters reports "extensive" damage in the city. Media reports indicate about 1 million people evacuated coastal areas of Odisha state before the cyclone hit.