Severe weather leaves millions across the U.S. bracing for heavy rain, hail and damaging winds
Severe weather moving across parts of the country over the next few days will bring destructive hail and damaging winds to more than 30 million people from the central Plains to the northern Great Lakes and strong storms for the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.
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Across Kansas, more than 35,000 customers were without power as of Tuesday afternoon due to the storm, according to poweroutage.us.
On Tuesday, 6 million people are at risk from North Dakota to northern Texas for straight-line winds over 75 mph, hail and tornadoes. Cities affected by the storm system include Bismarck, Fargo, Sioux Falls and Omaha.
A hailstorm in Castle Pines, Colo., on Monday.Kevin Washuta
On Wednesday, cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Des Moines, Kansas City and Wichita are expected to see damaging straight-line winds, hail and tornadoes.
The storm will also impact 43 million people from the central Plains to the northern Great Lakes on Thursday with hail, high winds and possible tornadoes.
More than 13 million people are under flood watches across portions of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Montgomery County Severe WX in Tennessee said in a post on X that a flood watch remains in effect until 1 p.m.
Following significant flooding in Lanesville, Indiana, residents had to climb onto the roofs of their homes to escape the rising water, NBC affiliate WAVE reported. Emergency management officials said propane tanks and live power lines were floating in the water.
The storm is expected to move east Friday.
Elsewhere in the country, 19 million people are under heat advisories stretching from northern Minnesota to northeast Texas. In some cities, the heat index could reach 108 degrees Fahrenheit. By Friday, the heat reaches the mid-Atlantic, where up to two dozen record highs are possible, including in cities such as Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Richmond.
