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Multi-Day Storm Outbreak Eyes Ohio Valley to Deep South Tonight
May 27, 2024
UPDATED by WeatherBug Meteorologist, Andrew Rosenthal
Dangerous weather is rumbling across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys and will remain a huge problem as far south as the DA complex and dangerous severe weather outbreak continues across the central U.S.
A familiar pattern consisting of several fast-moving upper-level disturbances will track overtop a warm, moisture-rich surface environment. This will continue to foster lines or clusters of dangerous thunderstorms crisscrossing the Middle and Lower Mississippi to the Ohio and Tennessee valleys this evening. Even during the predawn hours of Monday, powerful thunderstorms will rattle northern Mississippi, Alabama, and northern Georgia to possibly the western Carolinas before beginning to weaken.
A Tornado Watch is in place for east-central Tennessee and east-central Kentucky, including Crossville and Knoxville, Tenn. Severe Thunderstorm Watches stretch from eastern Tennessee across western and central North Carolina and Virginia, much of West Virginia and into western Pennsylvania and western Maryland. This includes Pittsburgh, Penn., Washington D.C., Lynchburg, Roanoke and Richmond, Va., Charleston, W.Va., and Winston-Salem and Hickory, N.C.
These watches are associated with a long-lived line of thunderstorms that have wreaked havoc on the Mid-South from Missouri into the Appalachians since early this morning. The thunderstorms will continue to move eastward, but will likely weaken as they interact with the mountainous terrain.
Meanwhile, a new severe threat is expected to develop across the same area of the Mid-South and Mid-Mississippi Valley. The threat is significant enough that the national Storm Prediction Center considers it a Moderate Risk for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, a level 4 of 5 risk. The areas at risk for the strongest storms include Cape Girardeau, Mo., Jonesboro, Ark., Bowling Green, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn.
A Tornado Watch has been issued across southern Missouri and southern Illinois, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. Cities under this watch include St. Louis, Paducah, and Bowling Green Ky., Dyersburg, Tenn., Jonesboro, Ark. Evansville, Ind., and Springfield, Mo.
Even beyond the core of the strongest storms, severe thunderstorms are possible from eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma and the Arklatex all the way into the western Carolinas and eastern Ohio. Much of this area is in an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms. Thunderstorms this evening could produce large and damaging tornadoes, baseball to softball sized hail and damaging wind gusts of 70 to 80 mph, especially across the Mid-Mississippi Valley.
Nearly 500,000 people from Missouri and Arkansas to Kentucky and West Virginia are without power this evening following the first round of storms that swept across the region this morning and this afternoon. With storms set to strike the same area again tonight, be sure that your cell phones are fully charged and that you have a battery-operated radio to allow you to get warnings of approaching storms.
Thunderstorms, seemingly repeatedly rolling across the same waterlogged locations, will lead to urban, flash, as well as river, stream, and creek flooding. This has already been occurring across southeastern parts of Missouri, far southwestern Illinois, and parts of far southern Kentucky from this morning’s to early afternoon activity. Two to 5 inches of additional rainfall will be possible through Monday morning. Flood Watches stretch from much of central and southern Missouri to far southern Indiana, much of Tennessee, and all of Kentucky. Remember, if you approach a flooded road, it is best to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”
Make sure to frequently check WeatherBug for updates, as a watch can quickly turn into a warning upon imminent danger. It is important to stay prepared for active weather. Make sure you know the difference between a watch and a warning should they become issued. A watch means that conditions are favorable for severe weather to take place, whereas a warning means severe weather is imminent and you need to act fast to prevent damage to property or even loss of life. Remember, “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!”