Sections of the south-central United States, already battered by severe weather the week before, saw heavy rain, strong winds, and thunderstorms on Tuesday.
Fueled by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, the low-pressure system began its multi-day journey from Texas to the Great Lakes region on Monday. The National Weather Service expected severe weather to reach the Gulf Coast, the mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest by Wednesday as it moved east.
According to the storm prediction center, more than 30 million Americans from eastern Texas to Mississippi were at risk of severe weather on Tuesday. As the system intensifies, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that severe weather and storms might produce tornadoes throughout the south-central United States on Wednesday.
The weather agency issued a severe thunderstorm watch for all of south Texas through Tuesday night and early Wednesday. According to the meteorological service, the Texas Panhandle and the mid-South faced the worst chance of flooding on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
The weather service stated the region’s major dangers were large hail, damaging wind gusts, and isolated tornadoes. The dire forecast prompted the Texas Eclipse Festival organizers to call off the celebration early Monday and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to deploy emergency response resources.
As of Tuesday night, more than 87,000 households and businesses across the south, including eastern Texas and western Louisiana, were without power, according to USA TODAY’s database.
The storm also caused disruptions in aviation travel. According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, more than 40 flights from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were canceled and around 440 were delayed by Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, the threat of severe weather will spread to middle Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, as well as northern Arkansas and sections of Tennessee. Tornadoes are likely to mostly affect the Gulf Coast on Wednesday before moving to the Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic region on Thursday, according to Accuweather.
On Sunday, Abbott deployed multiple state institutions, including the National Guard, the Department of Transportation, and the Texas A&M Forest Service, to prepare for potential flood, tornado, and storm damage.
“Texas is ready to respond with all available resources needed to assist local communities as severe weather, including severe thunderstorms and large hail, begins to impact the state,” Abbott said in a statement, urging people who traveled for Monday’s solar eclipse to “remain weather-aware and monitor road conditions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”
Last week, a huge storm system pounded much of the eastern United States, killing at least four people as it brought torrential rain, wind, snow, destructive hail, and tornadoes from Georgia and Alabama to Ohio and Illinois.
