Meteorologists warned that a severe weather event could affect 25 million people in the United States as it brings devastating tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail.
The new robust storm system that is moving into the Pacific Northwest on Sunday is expected to create severe storms in the South this week. The Storm Prediction Center issued an early forecast warning of a "significant severe-weather event" that will affect parts of the lower Mississippi River Valley on Tuesday.
Severe Weather Event
The chief of forecast operations at the Storm Prediction Center, Bill Bunting, warned that the storm system will have the potential to produce severe thunderstorms. These could then create powerful tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, and large hail.
Bunting noted that details regarding the areas most at risk from tornadoes will become clearer on Tuesday as the system approaches and smaller-scale trends become more evident. Officials issued a Level 3 out of 5 enhanced risks for severe storms across the region, including Memphis.
However, the larger severe storm threat that is expected on Tuesday could affect up to 25 million people from eastern Texas through southern Indiana. Furthermore, the prediction center also said that a "categorical upgrade will be possible in later outlooks," as per CNN.
This means that the storm threat has the potential to increase to a Level 4 or 5 out of 5 as Tuesday approaches and the forecast becomes clearer. Despite this, storms this week are expected to be powerful and potentially damaging to infrastructure and people alike. Authorities recommended being up-to-date on the latest forecasts.
Authorities said that the storm system is most likely going to produce tornadoes and damaging winds across the lower Mississippi River Valley on Tuesday evening. Bunting said that unfortunately, the threat will continue into the evening and overnight hours on that day.
According to USA Today, the National Weather Services also warned of severe storms that could threaten citizens. The weather service posted on Twitter that a significant severe-weather event was highly likely to occur in the region.
Devastating Tornadoes, Damaging Winds, and Large Hail
Officials expected the storm to complicate Thanksgiving and Black Friday plans as heavy and steady rain already covered parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas on Thursday afternoon. However, there were no reports of significant travel delays during the weekend holiday season.
On Saturday, less than 70 flights within, into, or out of the United States were canceled, based on data from flightaware.com. In a statement, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service, Gregg Gallina, said that the storm system is pretty strong, and is typical during this time of the year.
The system comes as around 10,000 were without power after torrential weather in St. Charles Parish brought winds of 86 to 110 miles per hour. Authorities also noted that some areas can experience up to four inches of rainfall as the rough weather is expected to occur overnight.
Officials 'warnings come after Paradis, Louisiana, which is located roughly 20 miles outside of New Orleans, was hit by a tornado on Saturday, Daily Mail reported.
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