According to NBC News, a massive storm system is barreling across multiple regions of the United States, bringing a mix of dangerous weather threats. This powerful storm has triggered alerts and watches that impact millions of Americans.
In the Ohio Valley, around 4 million people along the Ohio River are under tornado watches until noon. These storms could produce destructive 90 mph straight-line winds. The risk extends further, with 54 million people from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast facing possible intense storms.
As the system moves east, heavy snow and high winds are expected to hit the Northeast and Great Lakes through to tomorrow.
Areas like Wisconsin are bracing for over a foot of wet, heavy snow and winds gusting to 40 mph which could make travel very difficult.
The rain from this storm system is also a major flooding concern. Flood watches covered 16 million people from Illinois to Pennsylvania on Tuesday. The thunderstorms could dump 1-2 inches of rain per hour, causing flash floods, especially in cities, along roads, and near small streams.
The threats don’t end there. On Wednesday, 15 million people across the mid-Atlantic and Florida need to watch for more severe storms, which could bring lightning, damaging wind gusts, hail, and quite possibly, tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.
Residents in the storm’s path are advised to pay close attention to the latest warnings to stay safe during this prolonged bout of turbulent weather.
