Severe weather swept across the United States on Sunday, resulting in at least one death and warnings of damaging winds, tornadoes, and large hail across a vast area. A man was killed when a tree fell on a travel trailer that he was in with a woman in Oklahoma. The highest risk for severe weather was in northeastern Texas, northern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, potentially affecting over 40 million people. The Storm Prediction Center issued an enhanced risk level of three out of five for these areas, with tornado watches in effect across several states.
The severe weather was driven by a cold front colliding with warm, moist air in the South, creating ideal conditions for powerful thunderstorms. The risk was expected to intensify on Sunday evening as storms spread into Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys. The Storm Prediction Center warned of intense outbreaks and strong tornadoes in certain areas, with the possibility of very large hail. The threat was expected to persist into Sunday night, with the greatest risk for tornadoes in parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana.
On Monday, the severe weather risk was set to shift eastward, with the greatest threat extending from Virginia to Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle. Storms were predicted to be more intense in those areas, with the Northeast facing strong wind gusts and potential tornadoes and large hail in the South. Southern Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and much of Virginia were under an enhanced risk level for severe weather on Monday and into Tuesday. The storms were expected to continue into the night before moving offshore, with another system likely to follow behind.
Overall, the severe weather outbreak on Sunday and Monday posed significant risks across a wide swath of the United States, with tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail threatening millions of people. The Storm Prediction Center and the National Weather Service issued warnings and watches for multiple states, urging residents to stay alert and take precautions. While the threat was expected to shift eastward on Monday, the risk of severe weather continued to be high, with the potential for more storms in the coming days. Residents in the affected areas were advised to stay informed and prepared for changing weather conditions.
