The storm that sparked an outbreak of severe weather across the southern Plains on Wednesday is slamming through the Southeast today before bringing a soaking rain to the Northeast on Friday.

The Severe Weather Center reports the potent thunderstorms today will spread from the Mississippi Valley to the Southeast Coast. An unconfirmed tornado has caused significant damage this morning in Tupelo, Miss.

In an interview with the Fox News Channel, Tupelo Fire Department Deputy Chief Thomas Walker reported a building near the Tupelo airport sustained significant damage.

The South Regional News reports the storms through tonight could pass through major southern cities, including Nashville, Atlanta and Charlotte.

The strongest thunderstorms will be capable of producing a few dangerous tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, hail and drenching downpours.

Storm-related watches and warnings are in effect. Anyone in the path of the storms should monitor local media and weather radios for weather alerts.

The thunderstorms will erupt as a pocket of cool air slice into the warm and moist air in place over the South. Daytime heating will add to the instability in the atmosphere and the intensity of the storms that will begin by late morning.

The storms are part on an on-going active weather pattern that will continue to shoot storms from the Northwest across the Plains and into the East through the middle of next week.

The Weather Summaries page reports the storm slammed across the southern Plains on Wednesday. Most of the thunderstorms produced damaging winds and hail, with seven unconfirmed tornadoes reported.

One of the tornadoes caused damage in a northwestern suburb of Oklahoma City, while another unconfirmed twister downed trees and power lines near Bremond, Texas.

Meanwhile, heavy rain fell north of the severe weather from near the border of Oklahoma and Kansas to the mid-Mississippi Valley. As has been the case numerous times this year, flash flooding quickly ensued.

Streams and creeks near Lamar, Mo., overflowed their banks and flooded surrounding areas as 2.47 inches of rain fell over a period of six hours. Cars became stranded in Pittsburg, Kan., after runoff from heavy rain flooded several main streets.

Rainfall totals from a 24-hour period ending at 4 a.m. CDT today include:

• Joplin, Mo.: 5.70 inches
• Guthrie, Okla.: 3.28 inches
• Tulsa, Okla.: 3.27 inches
• Grove, Okla.: 2.87 inches
• Coffeyville, Kan.: 2.74 inches
• Lawrenceville, Ill.: 2.72 inches

Rain today will spread into the Ohio Valley. The East Regional News story reports through Friday, the soaking rain will spread from the mid-Atlantic to southern New England as the system taps into moisture from the Atlantic Ocean.

A second disturbance emerging from the central Rockies today will spark strong thunderstorms later today near the border of Colorado and Kansas before moving across Kansas through the overnight hours.

The thunderstorms on Friday will shift into the mid-Mississippi Valley as yet another storm moves through the northern Rockies.

The Midwest Regional News story reports that as the system moves to the east through the weekend, it will spark a new round of severe storms on the southern side of the track and rain across the northern tier of the country.

76

High Temperatures For Selected Cities:
City	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.	City	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.
Dallas	83	87	91	78	Denver	63	70	48	67
St. Louis	66	64	74	61	Minneapolis	62	62	52	53
Chicago	58	60	64	57	Detroit	60	63	63	58
Pittsburgh	68	62	66	64	Nashville	74	80	78
Raleigh	80	82	78	76	Atlanta	83	82	83	76
Washington, D.C.	80	68	70	68	Philadelphia	78	59	68	68
New York City	75	59	68	66	Boston	74	56	59	59

The monsoon season is underway in East Asia, which is not good news for survivors of the deadly cyclone that struck Burma, also known as Myanmar, last weekend.

Burma's state-run media reported the death toll is close to 23 thousand dead with over 42 thousand missing. However, a top U.S. diplomat told Associated Press the death toll may eventually exceed 100 thousand, with unsanitary conditions, scarce food and clean water creating the potential for disease and starvation.

Burma's military junta has yet to allow the U.S. offers of aid. The isolationist regime today gave clearance for the first major international airlift carrying aid to survivors.