Severe storms to pummel central US through midweek
Severe thunderstorms that erupt from the High Plains to the Upper Midwest can pack a punch through midweek.
A multiple-day severe weather threat to lives and property exists for the North Central states as a batch of cool air from the northern Rockies moves eastward.
People should keep a close eye on the sky and monitor severe weather bulletins. As the storms advance and approach area airports, the risk of airline delays will increase.
Into Tuesday night, the threat for severe storms will extend along an approximate 1,200-mile-long swath from southern Manitoba, Canada, to western Texas.
The most concentrated area of severe storms will be from near the United States and Canada border to eastern Nebraska.
The setup is not as ideal for tornadoes as it was on Monday evening over sparsely populated areas over the northern High Plains. However, few tornadoes could be spawned over the North Central states late Tuesday afternoon and evening. Even one tornado striking a community can pose great risk to lives and property.
Several tornadoes were reported across South Dakota on Tuesday afternoon which lead to property damage, but there were no reports of injuries.
Multiple tornadoes also touched down across the region, including one just east of Morris, Minnesota.
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">10 min ago large tornado filmed 5 miles East of Morris MN heading East <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSTwinCities">@NWSTwinCities</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WCCO">@WCCO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mnwx?src=hash">#mnwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/fyCmGtY6Xt">pic.twitter.com/fyCmGtY6Xt</a></p>— Vincent Maciej (@VincentMaciej) <a href="https://twitter.com/VincentMaciej/status/874780725467369474">June 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Overnight, powerful storms are expected to track eastward across Minnesota, ravaging many areas that were impacted earlier this week.
"Farther south over the Plains, there will be the potential for isolated tornadoes with the strongest thunderstorms, prior to evolving into straight-line strong wind threat Tuesday night," Walker said.
On Wednesday, the primary focus for severe weather will be over the Upper Midwest, perhaps centered on Wisconsin. Storms in this area on Wednesday will carry the potential for strong wind gusts, flash flooding and hail.
However, local storms may reach severe levels as far to the east as the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic on Tuesday and Wednesday and as far to the south as Oklahoma and Arkansas at midweek.
As is the case with any severe thunderstorm, there is the slight chance of a tornado being spawned.
Those spending time outdoors should be prepared to move indoors, away from windows. Get to indoor shelter at the first clap of thunder or the first distant flash of lightning.
While heat remains the leading cause of weather-related fatalities worldwide, lightning claims 30 people annually in the U.S., according to NOAA Lightning Safety Specialist John Jensenius.
If in a remote area, a car or truck with a solid metal roof will offer substantial protection from a lightning strike. Never seek shelter under a tree or small grove of trees as lightning often strikes the highest point in a general area. Picnic pavilions, carports and covered porches do not offer adequate protection from lightning.
Report a Typo
