Severe weather threat continues Thursday, putting 98 million people at risk from Texas to the East Coast
Thursday is shaping up to be another dangerous day of severe weather, with about 98 million people from Texas to the East Coast at risk of thunderstorms that could produce large hail, damaging wind gusts and the possibility of tornadoes. ing.
atlanta – The deadly multi-day severe weather outbreak affecting the central United States this week continues unabated, even as tens of millions of people across the South brace for more extreme weather on Thursday. There are growing concerns that a major derecho could occur and cause an explosion in the region. A powerful thunderstorm with destructive hurricane-force wind gusts.
A cluster of potentially dangerous thunderstorms has been forming throughout the morning and is expected to continue forming throughout the day from Texas to the mid-Atlantic.
Authorities issued multiple severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado warnings and flash flood warnings as severe storms battered the Tennessee Valley and Southeast.
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Several tornado watches have been issued across the Southeast and will continue into Thursday afternoon or evening, including major cities such as metro Atlanta. Columbia, South Carolina. and Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Montgomery, Alabama.
How to prepare for tornadoes
Strong thunderstorms caused headaches for travelers Thursday morning as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted two ground stops at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) due to severe weather in the area. Ta.The first ground stop was lifted at 9:15 a.m., but the second ground stop would not be lifted until 11:45 a.m.
The FAA said there is a moderate possibility that the ground stop will be extended.
And the bad weather continues for the rest of the day. Approximately 22 million people from Texas to South Carolina are at Level 3 of 5 severe thunderstorm risk on the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale.
This includes cities such as Dallas, Waco, and Austin in Texas, Shreveport in Louisiana, Jackson in Mississippi, Birmingham in Alabama, and Atlanta and Savannah in Georgia.
The boundary of a slow-moving front that has been producing tornadoes from the Plains to the South Central region for several days will once again be the center of precipitation.
Tornado and severe storms kill 3 people in North Carolina, Tennessee, and leave 900 miles of damage
Unlike during the activity earlier in the week, the main threat from the storm appears to be hail and wind damage rather than tornadoes. However, several tornadoes are possible from central and northern Texas through the lower Mississippi Valley and into the Southeast.
Meteorologists may use the terms sublinear convective system, squall line, and even bow echo to describe Thursday’s activity, which represents a significant wind threat.
Notes and Warnings: Here are the differences between the two:
The primary purpose of statements issued by the NWS is to protect life and property.
The SPC warned that some storms could produce hurricane-force wind gusts, and wind damage was already being reported in the Southeast.
In Tennessee, there were numerous reports of downed trees across Sequatchie County, and multiple power outages knocked down several large trees in the Middle Valley area of Hamilton County.
Trees were also blown down in the Lakeview and Boynton areas of Catoosa County, Georgia.
The FOX Prediction Center also warned that the hail threat is expected to become significant over Texas.
Video of drone nearly unrecognizable after tornado hits Sulphur, Oklahoma
Power outages are also increasing across the region as severe weather batters the region.
More than 230,000 power outages were reported in five states, with Tennessee and North Carolina particularly hard hit.
More than 86,000 power outages were reported in Tennessee and more than 83,000 in North Carolina, down from nearly 100,000 earlier in the day, according to poweroutage.us.
For safety reasons, work to repair downed power lines and poles cannot begin until the threat of severe weather has passed, so some power outages may last for a long time.
Severe weather forecast for Friday
Storm danger is expected to continue across the Southeast through at least Friday, but no organized severe weather is expected.
Despite the lack of organization, thunderstorms can produce severe events such as hail, wind damage, and isolated tornadoes.
Cities such as Mobile, Alabama, Tallahassee, Florida, Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina are in areas at increased risk for strong to severe storms.
Starting Friday, the frontal boundary is expected to push offshore, which will keep the region clear of thunderstorms through the weekend.
