Severe Weather, Including Tornadoes and Large Hail, Threatens Parts of U.S.

Severe Weather Threatens Parts of the U.S.

According to the National Weather Service, a powerful storm system is expected to impact several states in the Central United States before moving eastward. The affected states include Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The storm system has the potential to unleash tornadoes, thunderstorms, and large hail. Here's what you need to know about the forecast:

Tornadoes: There is a possibility of tornadoes across parts of the Central United States on Monday.

Thunderstorms: On Tuesday, thunderstorms are expected to spread into the Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic region.

Forecast Details

The Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service has identified large sections of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas as being at risk of damage from strong winds and hail greater than two inches in diameter. The areas most at risk on Monday include central and eastern Oklahoma, far southeast Kansas, and central Missouri. It's important to note that this comes just weeks after tornadoes ravaged Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, resulting in three fatalities.

Approximately eight million people live within areas with an enhanced risk of severe weather, which is the third level on a five-level scale used by the Weather Service. Some of the cities facing an enhanced risk on Monday include Tulsa, Oklahoma; St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri; and Evansville, Illinois.

The storm system is expected to strengthen as it moves eastward into the Upper Ohio Valley on Monday night, bringing heavy rainfall and the potential for flash flooding. On Tuesday, heavy showers, winds, and thunderstorms are projected to spread into the Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic region.

Flood watches have been issued for parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and western Maryland, extending through Tuesday evening. Rainfall totals are anticipated to exceed two inches in many areas, with localized amounts of up to five inches.

Forecasters are closely monitoring the storm system as two separate low-pressure centers over the Great Lakes and the Mid-Atlantic are expected to converge by the middle of the week. This convergence could result in an early April nor'easter off the New England coast by Thursday morning. The nor'easter has the potential to bring six inches or more of snow to the Great Lakes and the Northeast.

About the Author

The article was written by Orlando Mayorquín, a breaking news reporter based in New York. He is also a member of the 2023-24 Times Fellowship class, a program for early-career journalists.

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