Unrelenting storm system heads to Midwest with damaging winds and possible tornadoes
Originally Published: 21 MAY 24 01:20 ET
Updated: 21 MAY 24 03:42 ET
By Elizabeth Wolfe and Robert Shackelford, CNN
(CNN) — Destructive hail, winds and a few tornadoes could thrash communities in parts of the Midwest Tuesday as a relentless storm system continues to tear a path across the US this week.
More than 22 million people across the region are under an enhanced, or Level 3 or 5, severe weather threat Tuesday, the Storm Prediction Center said. Storms are expected to reach their peak strength during the afternoon and carry into Tuesday night.
The biggest area of concern is concentrated in much of Iowa, northwest Illinois, southwest Wisconsinand northern Missouri, which are under a Level 4 of 5 threat.
Tornadoes, some stronger than EF2, as well as strong wind gusts andhail as large as tennis balls are the main threats across the Midwest Tuesday, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Later Tuesday afternoon and evening, wind gusts as strong as 90 mph could blow through the region. The gales threaten to knock out electricity if they damage trees and power lines in their path.
Though they are not in the bullseye of the storm, cities including Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Omaha and Madison are also at risk of seeing severe weather. Lower chances of severe storms spread from Texas to Michigan, including Dallas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Detroit.
Flash flooding triggered by heavy rainfall also poses a threat for parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska, where flood watches are in effect Tuesday. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are possible with some places eyeing totals of up to 5 inches.
The powerful storm system arrives in the Midwest after hurtling through the central US on Sunday and Monday, stirring up reports of more than a dozen tornadoes and several damaged homes across the region. Rounds of severe storms have been making their way across the US over the past week, including a devastating storm that struck Houston on Thursday, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power for days amid a stifling heat wave.
Weakening on Wednesday, the storm system could unleash thunderstorms from Texas to western New York, bringing less intense threats of hail, winds and potential tornadoes.
Heatwave bakes Houston amid power outages
An intensifying heat wave is bearing down on Houstonians even as a large number of residents remain without power due to destructive storms on Thursday.
Severe storms unleashed a tornado and 100 mph winds last week on Harris County, which includes Houston, and sent sheets of rain and large debris whipping through the air as people took cover inside cars, grocery stores and hotel lobbies.
The violent conditions killed at least eight people, ripped out skyscraper windows, downed critical power infrastructure, caused a sewage spill and made roads impassable.
Electricity has yet to be restored for more than 140,000homes and businesses in Harris County as of Monday night, according to PowerOutage.us. Authorities have warned restoring power to some areas could take weeks, leaving people without air conditioning as the heat index – a measurement of how hot the body actually feels – could hit the triple digits this week.
A dangerous heat wave is ramping up from south Texas to the central Gulf Coast this week and record daily high temperatures could be in store.
“Record or near-record warm overnight temperatures will provide little to no relief to those without adequate or reliable cooling,” the National Weather Service warns.
Heat is the deadliest form of extreme weather and poses a growing threat as human-driven climate change leads to longer and more intense periods of excessive heat. Residents of Houston will have to endure heat indices from the 90s Monday into the 100s Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Widespread power outages continue across the Houston metro area. Please use safety precautions when using generators,” the National Weather Service in Houston said. “Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion/stroke. Don’t overdo yourself during the cleanup process.”
By this weekend, heat indices could skyrocket to over 110 degrees. The sweltering temperature will envelop the region through early next week until relief finally comes toward the end of the month.
The-CNN-Wire
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