Nearly half the US is bracing for tornadoes, hail and damaging wind gusts this week as a bout of severe thunderstorms barrels across the South.
The storms are expected to impact 170 million people in 22 states between Tuesday and Wednesday.
That includes parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The highest risk for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes will stretch across parts of northeastern Texas, northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas and central Mississippi on Tuesday.
This threatening weather is expected to cause wind gusts of 65 to 75 miles per hour, which can bring down trees, damage buildings and trigger power outages.
AccuWeather meteorologists also warned families and businesses to prepare for the threat of tornadoes Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday night, as these intense thunderstorms could whip up more than a dozen twisters.
‘Tornadoes that strike after dark are extremely dangerous. Nocturnal tornadoes are statistically 2.5 times more deadly than tornadoes that strike during the day,’ said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter.
‘Families need to be prepared with several ways to receive severe weather alerts that can wake them up if they’re asleep,’ he said, also stressing the importance of making sure their storm shelters are stocked with food, water and first aid supplies.
In February, a mother and daughter from Tennessee were killed when a tornado ripped through their home without warning
Now, this state is bracing for more destruction as a bout of severe thunderstorms threatens to whip up tornadoes across the southern US this week
Travel conditions could become hazardous due to thunderstorms and powerful wind gusts, particularly along the Interstate 20 and Interstate 30 corridors. Strong crosswinds could pose a significant risk of rollovers for trucks, buses and SUVs.
Hundreds of flight delays and cancellations are expected at airports and hubs across the South Central and Southeast region Tuesday through Wednesday night, including at airports in Houston, New Orleans, and Atlanta.
This could lead to a domino effect that disrupts air travel across the country.
This storm system will move into south central states tonight, where it will be strengthened by moisture from the Gulf, building warmth and a strong jet stream.
This evening, powerful wind gusts will begin to pick up from central Texas to much of Oklahoma and southern Kansas, according to AccuWeather.
By Tuesday, thunderstorms will quickly become severe as high winds continue to rage, impacting a ‘massive’ area from south Texas to Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and the Florida Panhandle.
Damaging hail, lightning and flash floods could also occur across this impact zone.
The storm system is expected to shift northward toward the Upper Midwest Wednesday, bringing severe weather to parts of the Great Lakes, East Coast and the northeast Gulf Coast.
By Tuesday, thunderstorms will quickly become severe as high winds continue to rage, impacting a ‘massive’ area from south Texas to Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and the Florida Panhandle
The storm system is expected to shift northward toward the Upper Midwest Wednesday, bringing severe weather to parts of the Great Lakes, East Coast and the northeast Gulf Coast
Areas further north are less likely to experience tornadoes, but AccuWeather meteorologists expect thunder, lighting and gusty winds to stretch as far as the St. Lawrence Valley and eastern New England.
But there will still be some risk of brief tornadoes, hail and flash flooding Wednesday, especially in the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Alabama and most of Georgia and South Carolina.
The risk of flash flooding will be most severe in areas that were already hit by heavy rains in mid-February, such as parts of the Ohio and Tennessee Valley.
In Kentucky, at least 12 people died due to flash flooding that quickly devastated entire communities.
But flooding may be possible further north as well, where accumulated snow could rapidly melt and cause rivers and streams to suddenly swell.
