Deadly severe weather outbreak continues for third consecutive day
Violent thunderstorms erupted again on Wednesday, and dangers, including the risk of tornadoes, will persist into the night. AccuWeather forecasters highlight the greatest risks expected through late week.
Severe weather will put millions at risk across the South Central states and Gulf Coast.
A dangerous severe weather outbreak persisted into the third day on Wednesday, with more tornadoes touching down across the South. AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the south-central United States will be under a heightened state of alert for violent thunderstorms into Wednesday night. Damaging tornadoes and flash flooding are among the dangers expected.
The outbreak of severe weather, which has turned deadly, produced more than a dozen reports of tornadoes on Tuesday, and the National Weather Service issued many tornado warnings on Wednesday.
There is the potential that the period from Wednesday to Wednesday night could be the most active in terms of the number of tornadoes of the entire outbreak. Because of this, AccuWeather meteorologists have increased the risk to lives and property to a high level from portions of southeastern Louisiana to southeastern Mississippi and central and southern Alabama.
Atmospheric conditions will remain ripe for more severe weather well into Wednesday night as humid air and a potent jet stream will stay put.
Once again, everything from high winds and tornadoes to hail and torrential downpours are likely to occur in the strongest storms into Wednesday night. Severe weather that has expanded farther to the north in Alabama since Tuesday could stretch across portions of western and central Georgia into the evening hours.
Along with the threat of nocturnal touchdowns, some of the tornadoes that are spawned can be concealed by rain or may not be visible due to rolling, wooded terrain.
Along the Gulf coast, a few waterspouts are possible. As these make landfall, they can lead to brief tornadoes as well.
AccuWeather meteorologists urge all in the threat zone to closely monitor severe weather watches and warnings as they are issued and seek shelter immediately if warnings are issued.
Disturbances, or ripples in the jet stream, rotating around the massive storm system will provide periodic boosts in the severe weather potential mainly in the Interstate 10 and 20 corridors. Combined with surging Gulf of Mexico moisture, flood threat dangers could also be heightened in the Tennessee Valley and surrounding areas into Wednesday evening, Deger said.
Because storm systems in recent weeks have chipped away at drought conditions over the South Central states, the ground has become wetter and runoff has been occurring at progressively faster rates. In some cases, the state of the ground is saturated and any downpours that persist can lead to rapid flooding of streams and flooding on some of the secondary rivers in the region.
"This risk is of greatest concern but not limited to the zone from the central Mississippi and northwestern Alabama to the southern and middle portions of Tennessee into Wednesday night," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. In this swath, a general 2-3 inches of rain is forecast to fall with the potential for an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 6 inches.
Experts urge motorists to never drive through flooded areas since the road surface may have been washed away and the water may be much deeper than it appears.
Rain and severe weather will pick up forward speed by later Wednesday night and Thursday, as atmospheric conditions will also become less favorable for violent thunderstorms and torrential rainfall to develop.
"The threat for severe weather will enter its fourth day on Thursday, as storms reach the Florida Peninsula, southeastern Georgia and the eastern Carolinas," Deger said. "A warm, humid air mass ahead of the storm's cold front will drive the thunderstorms and severe weather potential."
Even though much of the jet stream support for severe weather will be diminishing, the risk will still include the potential for a couple of tornadoes and waterspouts in northern and central Florida in particular.
In the wake of the severe weather, chillier air will spread across much of the South Central states. The air could be just cold enough to allow a bit of snow and/or ice to occur in parts of Texas and northern Louisiana Friday. The same storm sparking the severe weather into Thursday will pivot into the Northeast during the second half of this week with travel-snarling snow, ice and rain.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
