Tornadoes, thunderstorms to pummel U.S. again this week
A second wave of tornadoes and thunderstorms in less than a week is forecast to hit states in the U.S. South and Midwest on Wednesday then move eastward, with Oklahoma expecting hail bigger than golf balls.
Communities in central Texas and western Louisiana hit by deadly flash flooding and twisters over the weekend will see another round of high winds, twisters and intense rain, according to AccuWeather and the National Weather Service (NWS).
Dallas and Oklahoma City could take hits from the storm, which is expected to stretch from Iowa and Missouri in the north through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas to the south, said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist John Feerick.
“Dallas and Oklahoma City, from there on eastward is probably at greatest threat from damaging winds, flooding downpours and tornadoes,” said Feerick.
Northern Oklahoma could be pelted with hail 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, or larger, on Wednesday, the NWS tweeted.
As the storm tracks eastward, it will extend from Indiana south to Florida by late Thursday, hitting the Atlanta area that night and the Atlantic coast the next day.
Picking up moisture from the ocean, the system is likely to produce intense thunderstorms up the eastern seaboard as far north as New York state.
New York City, Philadelphia and Washington may face travel delays from the rain and possibly property damage from high winds, AccuWeather warned. Flash flooding could remain a threat in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts on Saturday, the weather service said.
The previous storm system picked up strength in the U.S. South and drove more than three dozen tornadoes that killed at least five people, including three children, officials said. -- Reuters
