New Storm System Threatens Severe Weather for Over 45 Million People in Central US
CNN- A new storm system is threatening severe storms for more than 45 million people in the central United States on Thursday. Following a previous storm that caused tornadoes, large hail, and damaging wind gusts in parts of the Central Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes earlier this week, a new system with a long-range cold front is expected to bring another round of severe weather.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a Level 3 of 5 severe storm threat for southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, extreme southwestern Indiana, northwest Tennessee, and western Kentucky. St. Louis is the largest city in this area under threat, with strong to severe thunderstorms capable of causing damaging gusts, large hail, and possibly tornadoes.
A Tier 2 of 5 severe storm threat extends from central Texas to western Indiana, including cities like Dallas, Indianapolis, Memphis, Little Rock, and Nashville. The main threats in this region are large or very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and isolated tornadoes. Additionally, a Level 1 of 5 threat extends from southern Texas to southwestern Ohio, with large hail and damaging wind gusts as the main threats.
The cold front is expected to continue eastward through Friday, with a Level 1 of 5 storm threat extending from northern Alabama to the southern tip of Virginia. Cities in this area, including Birmingham, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh, may experience large hail and damaging wind gusts.
Meanwhile, in the Ohio Valley, more than 90 storm reports were recorded on Tuesday, with over 65 reports of damaging winds and 25 reports of large hail. Strong gusts exceeding 96 km/h were reported in Ohio, with the most notable report of 106 km/h in Cleveland. Additionally, large hail exceeding 2.5 centimeters in diameter was reported, with a notable report of up to 38 centimeters in Bloomfield, Ohio.
A confirmed tornado tore through Garrettsville in Portage County, causing downed trees, power lines, and damage to homes and vehicles. While the severe storms have started to dissipate as they move northeastward, approximately 30,000 customers remain without power, with Pennsylvania and West Virginia being the most affected states.
As a round of storms moves through the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic region, over 70,000 customers are currently without power, with Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio experiencing the most significant outages.
Stay tuned for further updates and take necessary precautions to stay safe during this severe weather event.