As severe weather warnings sweep across the United States this Memorial Day, at least 68 million people are on high alert for dangerous storms. The aftermath of these storms has already claimed the lives of at least 19 individuals and left half a million homes and businesses without power in the central region of the country.
The Northeast is the latest target for these severe storms, as they advance from Arkansas and Tennessee into the Ohio Valley before progressing further north towards the East Coast. Expect heavy rain, wind speeds exceeding 60 mph, and hail larger than 2 inches, with the added looming threat of possible tornadoes, according to NBC meteorologist Michelle Grossman.
Flash flooding alerts currently cover 9 million people, primarily in Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Indiana. The severity of the weather reaches as far as Colorado, where a tragic incident involving a lightning strike resulted in the deaths of a rancher and 34 cattle near the town of Rand, 80 miles northwest of Denver.
PowerOutage.us reports over 460,000 homes and businesses without power in affected areas, with Kentucky bearing a significant brunt of more than 182,000 outages. Emergency phone lines have also been affected, hampering communication efforts in states like Kentucky.
The devastation caused by the weekend’s weather-related incidents is alarming, with casualties reported in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. These incidents were primarily due to falling trees and other storm-related factors.
Images and reports of confirmed tornadoes have surfaced across the region, showcasing the destruction that has ensued. The National Weather Service plans to dispatch survey teams to assess the damage in Kentucky over the coming days, with a state of emergency declared in multiple counties in Kentucky and parts of Arkansas.
As a cold front moves northward, extreme heat warnings are in effect for portions of Texas, where temperatures could exceed 100 degrees, potentially breaking daily records. The heat index, indicating how hot it feels, may soar to a dangerous 120 degrees in parts of Texas, with similar scorching conditions forecasted for Key West, Florida, and nearby areas.
