What may be a series of severe storms is predicted to hit states all over the U.S. Midwest, Central Plains, and the South beginning Friday. This includes the risk of thunderstorms and even tornadoes extending through the next couple weeks.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center issued a marginal risk of severe weather for states across the Central Plains for supercells that could “produce large hail, damaging winds, and a tornado,” a NWS alert read. The Upper Mississippi is expected to see excessive rainfall, which could create isolated flash flooding in that region.
A large column of states could be affected by the incoming severe weather, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This includes parts of Tennessee, West Virginia, Georgia, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Meteorologists cautioned that people in the affected areas should approach this coming weekend with caution. “The storms will be moving very quickly,” Storm Prediction Center meteorologist Matt Elliott said, according to the Associated Press. “So you won’t have a lot of time to react to warnings as well. So now’s the time to start preparing.” The NWS has predicted another round of storms for early next week in the same areas.
The news of incoming brutal weather comes less than a week after a tornado killed 25 people in Mississippi and one person in Alabama. The tornado touched down on the small town of Rolling Fork. It stayed on ground for about an hour and traveled about 170 miles, according to Reuters. Photos of the area showed homes reduced to rubble, wrecked cars, and splintered trees.