50 million at risk as severe storms, tornadoes threaten Central, Northeastern US
Violent storms and tornadoes could hit the central and eastern U.S. through the weekend, bringing widespread damage, power outages, and dangerous travel conditions.
It was a wild start of the weekend for severe weather in Missouri on May 16. A deadly tornado tore through the city of Benton causing downed trees, power lines and storm debris flung everywhere.
A series of severe thunderstorms packing high winds, hail and tornadoes will progress into the central and United States into this weekend and some will extend to the Atlantic coast, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. In the wake of Thursday's storms near the Great Lakes and Friday's severe weather outbreak in the Ohio Valley, a significant risk to lives and property will continue.
Friday's storms turned deadly in St. Louis and prompted a rare tornado emergency in Illinois:
Factoring in the population affected from Thursday to Saturday evening, close to 200 million people in the central and eastern United States will have been at risk of severe weather at some point. While the risk may take up only a small part of the 72-hour period, it could prove to be shocking, disruptive and even devastating to those most significantly affected by the storms. From Saturday to Sunday, close to 50 million people are still at risk.
A front will press southeastward into a zone of warm and increasingly humid air--setting the stage for multiple days of severe weather into the weekend.
From Thursday to Thursday night, a line of severe thunderstorms developed over Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois and tracked eastward into Michigan and far northwestern Indiana, leaving 450,000 customers without power. Storms that swept across the region brought hail up to the size of baseballs and softballs, wind gusts to the strength of a Category 1 hurricane and perhaps up to a dozen or so tornadoes. Crews will investigate the wind damage in the coming days.
In the wake of the storms, some neighborhoods could be strewn with downed trees and may be without power for an extended period.
Widespread violent storms impacted the Ohio Valley
Downpours and thunderstorms progressed across western and central New York and northern Pennsylvania Friday morning. These were the leftovers of violent storms in the Upper Midwest into Thursday night.
More storms erupted during the day on Friday and continued into early Saturday morning. Large hail, destructive wind and around two dozen tornadoes were reported from central Texas to the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic region.
Severe weather threat to continue this weekend
On Saturday afternoon and night, the likelihood of pockets of dangerous, damaging and disruptive thunderstorms will extend from central Texas and Oklahoma, eastward to western Georgia.
Storms can also bring flooding downpours and damaging wind gusts from northeast Pennsylvania and into the Hudson Valley of New York and part of western New England.
Saturday will bring the greatest risk of severe weather through the weekend for the major Northeast metro areas such as New York City.
All modes of severe weather will be possible on Saturday. However, a lower number of tornadoes is likely, when compared to Thursday and Friday. Still, all it takes is a single, brief tornado to strike a populated area to lead to loss of life, injuries and significant destruction.
The likelihood of severe thunderstorms will settle farther to the west over portions of the central and southern Plains on Sunday.
Large hail, locally damaging wind gusts and flash flooding will be the main threats during the latter part of the weekend.
Severe weather to ramp up again early next week
The chance of severe weather, including the potential for multiple tornadoes, will increase over the Central states early next week.
Just as with the severe weather into the weekend, another significant outbreak is likely, with lives and property at risk.
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