Severe storm threat to focus on corridor from New Orleans to Omaha, Nebraska

By By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist.

April 30, 2016, 8:57:23 PM EDT

The threat of locally damaging and dangerous thunderstorms will be centered from the central Plains to the Gulf Coast into Wednesday night.

As the storm system responsible for a severe weather outbreak over the Plains on Tuesday rotates eastward, so will the risk to lives and property.

The system on Tuesday produced the largest outbreak of severe weather so far this year for the central United States with hundreds of incidents of large hail and damaging wind gusts, as well as a few tornadoes.

Into Wednesday night, the threat of violent storms will extend along an approximate 850-mile-long swath from eastern Nebraska and southern Iowa to coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

"While a few isolated tornadoes are likely this day, the main output from the severe storms will be damaging wind gusts, large hail, frequent lightning strikes and flash flooding," according to AccuWeather Assistant Director of Storm Warning Services Andrew Gagnon.

Major cities in the risk area include Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; St. Louis; Nashville; and New Orleans.

"Some of the severe weather will be a carryover from Tuesday night, before new storms erupt farther to the east," Gagnon said. "We expect a squall line to develop, but with some gaps."

Even though tornadoes are likely to be isolated in nature on Wednesday, the severe storms will threaten a more densely populated part of the nation, when compared to Tuesday.

There will also be some robust thunderstorms across portions of the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic into Wednesday evening.

“Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop along a frontal boundary from southern Indiana to the southern mid-Atlantic into Wednesday evening,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.

The same boundary fired thunderstorms across the Ohio Valley on Tuesday producing large hail and wind damage to some communities. A tornado also touched down near Worthington, Indiana.

Into Wednesday evening, the greatest threat from the storms will be hail and damaging wind gusts from southern Indiana to parts of North Carolina and southern Virginia.

Evansville, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Norfolk, Virginia; are some of the cities that will need to keep an eye to the sky for a strong thunderstorm.

During the overnight hours on Wednesday, the storms will begin to weaken and become more spotty in nature.

Storms may re-fire over parts of the Southeastern states on Thursday and Friday. Severe weather will tend to be localized and not widespread these days.

Remember, safety first with any thunderstorm. Never stand or park under a tree to ride out a storm. Trees are often a target for lightning. Sudden strong winds can topple trees or cause large limbs to break. Move indoors and away from windows as storms approach. Golf carts and picnic pavilions do not offer adequate protection from lightning.

If a tornado warning is given for your location, move to the lowest interior room of your home without delay.

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