<a href="http://twitter.com/GailMetzner/status/228619210731970560/photo/1">Twitter user @GailMetzner</a> took this photo of storm clouds rolling into Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon.
After Thursday's deadly severe weather outbreak, more damaging thunderstorms are threatening the mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Ohio Valley as this workweek comes to a close.
The corridor from Philadelphia to Atlanta with a separate area around Ohio are at risk for damaging storms packing strong winds, torrential rain and even some hail into this evening.
Other cities in the above threat zones include Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., Norfolk and Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., Dover, Del., Pittsburgh, Pa., Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, Detroit, Mich., and Louisville, Ky.
For the Ohio Valley, the impending violent thunderstorms come as residents are still cleaning up from Thursday's damaging thunderstorms.
Fortunately, the scope and magnitude of Thursday's outbreak should not be duplicated into this evening.
The strongest thunderstorms will be more scattered in nature. However, it should be stressed that it only takes one powerful thunderstorm to cause damage and bodily harm.
Thunderstorms are a common occurrence across the eastern half of the United States this time of year, but the magnitude of the storms into this evening may catch those starting their weekends early off guard.
Powerful wind gusts in excess of 50 mph, high enough to bring down tree limbs and power lines, will accompany some storms. The strong winds combined with heavy rain will reduce visibility to nearly zero for some motorists.
Damage ranging from downed trees and torn off roofs from these violent thunderstorms have already been reported.
Localized flash flooding are another danger from the downpours. Places in the Ohio Valley that have missed out on rain recently are especially at risk since the ground is too hard to initially soak up the heavy burst of rain.
Some small hail could be coupled with the storms as well, but the stones should not be large enough to cause any major damage.
The severity of the thunderstorms will wane by early Saturday morning, but a new severe weather threat lurks for North Carolina and southern Virginia for Saturday afternoon.
AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski contributed to the content of this story.
Severe weather will return to the Plains once again early next week as a potent storm system moves into the region.
With one day remaining before Memorial Day weekend, the Sandy-battered Jersey coastline is hustling to finish last-minute preparations.
The Memorial Day weekend will begin nasty with win, rain and chill in New England and part of the mid-Atlantic.
A strengthening storm system will spread heavy rainfall across the Yangtze River Valley from Friday night through Sunday night.
"We can and must do more relative to severe weather," AccuWeather CEO Barry Myers testified on Thursday, May 23, 2013, during a hearing called Restoring U.S. Leadership in Weather Forecasting.
Around 8:47 p.m. PDT, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook in the mountains of California, according to the USGS.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
Kentucky (1894)
Snowstorm across state; daytime accumulation
of 4-6".
West Coast (1982)
Heat wave:
San Francisco, CA 91 degrees, (new record;
previous record 79 in 1975)
San Jose, CA 84 degrees
Portland, OR 85 degrees (tied record)
North Texas (1986)
Severe thunderstorms produced 95 mph wind
gusts and widespread damage. More than 3" of
rain fell in less than an hour. A 29 year old
women and 6 year old daughter drowned when the
underpass they were driving into was flooded
out.
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