A relentless stretch of severe weather that left 28 dead and unleashed destruction across the central and eastern United States in recent days isn’t letting up yet, with millions more in the path of dangerous weather this week.
Monday’s level 4-of-5 risk of severe thunderstorms in the Plains marks the third day out of the last four to hit this rare level – one typically issued on about 10 days each year. All severe thunderstorm hazards are expected– including tornadoes that could reach EF3 strength or greater.
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma, are within the most concerning risk area Monday, but Dallas, Kansas City and St. Louis, including areas devastated on Friday, could also be in the path of dangerous storms.
Here’s the latest:
- Deadly weather: Violent storms have killed at least 28 people in three states since Friday: 19 in Kentucky, seven in Missouri – including five in St. Louis – and two in Virginia. There have been at least 1,500 reports to the SPC of damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes in the days of storms since Wednesday.
- Rare tornado emergencies: The National Weather Service issued the most extreme tornado warning it has at its disposal on Friday and issued two more on Sunday night. Friday’s covered southern Illinois’ Williamson County, where an EF4 tornado roared through and injured at least seven people. Greensburg and Plevna, Kansas, were caught in Sunday night’s tornado emergencies as “large and destructive” tornadoes tracked through or close to each area.
- More danger to come: Tens of millions of people in the central US are at risk of severe thunderstorms on Monday, including more than 17 million people from Texas to Kansas and Missouri who could be in the path of strong tornadoes – defined as EF2 or stronger. More than 6 million people are under that same tornado risk on Tuesday as severe weather shifts east.