At least three people were killed in a day after powerful storms pounded the central and eastern United States Wednesday, causing multiple tornadoes and causing widespread damage and more than a dozen injuries.
While authorities and residents began cleanup operations from the overnight storm and tornadoes, millions of others were preparing for more severe weather. Meteorologists expect a storm to hit the central United States with heavy rain, hail and the possibility of tornadoes starting Wednesday afternoon and continuing into the night.
These tornadoes are part of a multi-state outbreak that began on May 6 and has resulted in dozens of tornado reports since then. More than 22 million people were under tornado watches Wednesday.
Parts of eight states – Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee – were under a tornado watch Wednesday afternoon, meaning conditions are ripe for tornadoes to form. Multiple tornado warnings were issued for parts of Tennessee, where at least two tornadoes were seen, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday that a tornado touched down and another tornado touched down in Lamar County, Texas. Located in Huntsville, Alabama. The Storm Prediction Center tracked potential tornadoes in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri and South Dakota.
The Claiborne County, Tennessee, Emergency Management Office told USA TODAY that a 22-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his car while he was driving around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. A tornado touched down in Maury County, Tennessee, killing one person and injuring four others. Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries and one person is in critical condition, Maury County Regional Hospital said.
One person was killed in North Carolina when a tree fell on a car during Wednesday’s storm, Gaston County officials said. Another person was also rescued and taken to the hospital. The county declared a state of emergency Wednesday night after dangerous weather caused severe damage in multiple areas and left nearly 45% of customers without power.
Several supercell thunderstorms hit south central Kentucky and middle Tennessee. The Bureau of Meteorology made the announcement Wednesday at 7 p.m., and the storm was expected to continue into the evening, producing large hail, damaging winds, and several tornadoes. Supercells are the least common type of thunderstorm and tend to produce dangerous weather.
Michigan tornado causes havoc
A tornado ripped through Kalamazoo County, less than 90 miles south of Grand Rapids, partially destroying a FedEx facility in Michigan, but the workers inside managed to escape unharmed. Nearby, a tornado ripped through a mobile home community, leaving up to 20 people injured and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said in a video posted on Facebook that about 176 buildings were damaged, 17 of which were completely destroyed.
“We found a home on the road, we found a home in a neighbor’s home,” Fuller said, urging residents to stay in their homes as authorities continue to search for people and assess damage across the county. Ta.
Authorities in southern Ohio were surveying damage after two suspected tornadoes destroyed homes, toppled trees and snapped power poles. The storm left some areas flooded and emergency responders conducted multiple rescue operations. Tornadoes were also reported in Arkansas, Indiana, and West Virginia.
Tornadoes, hail and wind damage forecast for parts of central U.S.
About 20 million people from northeast Texas to Missouri and Kentucky were at increased or moderate risk of severe storms Wednesday, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Powerful thunderstorms are expected to produce tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds across Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, with the highest risk expected, according to the prediction center.
Cities that could face the worst impacts include Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, Louisville and Little Rock, the weather service said. A large swath of the eastern United States, from Texas to Georgia to New England, was at slight risk of severe weather.
As of 2 p.m., there were reports of fallen trees damaging some homes and buildings in Tennessee, the National Weather Service said. In Granger County, outside of Knoxville, the Storm Prediction Center was tracking a hailstorm across the central United States that downed many power lines and dumped hailstones the size of tennis balls in Clarksville, Tennessee. authorities reported.
Damage from wind gusts was also reported in Kentucky and Missouri, where meteorologists recorded winds of 107 mph. Several school districts in Tennessee ended classes early or canceled after-school activities altogether, according to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY network.
Water rescues were conducted as flooding was reported in parts of Middle Tennessee due to torrential rains. The Red River near Port Royal Tennessee is expected to rise more than 20 feet Wednesday, peaking at 38 feet in moderate flood stage. At least four other local streams in the area rose 6 to 8 feet in a matter of hours, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.
Meteorologists expect multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms to hit the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys during the day and into the evening. Thunderstorms are expected to develop by late afternoon across Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. Hail larger than 3 inches in diameter will be a threat as the system moves east into the evening, along with wind, rain and the possibility of tornadoes.
A flood watch was in place for all of Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri through Thursday, the weather service said. Rainfall totals could be between 2 and 5 inches in some areas.
“Early warning saved lives”
In St. Joseph County, just south of Kalamazoo, the tornado destroyed seven buildings, mostly homes, Branch County Emergency Manager Tim Minor told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. told. There were no reports of serious injuries or deaths from the storm, which some attribute to early weather warnings.
“Early warning saved lives,” said Ernie Ostuno, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Rapids. “The alarm was raised and people responded.”
More than 101,000 homes and businesses in North Carolina were without power Wednesday evening, according to a USA TODAY database. About 40,000 utility customers in Tennessee also reported power outages.
The looming storm system spawned at least eight tornadoes in Michigan. Others were reported in Arkansas, Ohio and West Virginia, according to the National Weather Service. A powerful storm pounded the Plains region on Monday, spawning multiple tornadoes, killing at least one person in Oklahoma, destroying homes and causing widespread power outages in multiple states.
Tornado Warning Safety Tips
There’s no such thing as guaranteed safety, but the National Weather Service says there are things people can do to increase their chances of surviving a deadly tornado.
∎ Protect yourself from flying or falling debris, which is the greatest life-threatening hazard.
∎ Evacuate to the nearest safe place indoors or in the basement.
∎ Always avoid windows. Do not go to the window or door and look outside.
∎ Cover your body with thick protective coverings such as mattresses, sleeping bags, thick blankets, and other protective coverings.
∎ If you have a helmet, wear it to protect your head from debris.
National weather radar
Contributed by Kylie Martin, Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press; Cheryl Valli, Hadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer; Kirsten Ficus, Diana Leyva, Andy Humbles, Tennessean
