Around 26 million people could be affected by severe storms moving eastward across the Gulf Coast states on Monday, April 8.
The National Weather Service says storms with “damaging wind gusts and hail will be possible from Georgia and eastern Tennessee northeastward across the Carolinas into southeastern Virginia on Monday, as well as over northern Mississippi and western Alabama.”
Following widespread reports of large hail and wind damage across the Deep South over the weekend, additional rounds of severe weather and flooding downpours will expand eastward into the Southeast and Carolinas through Monday night: https://t.co/eBjqOqQqmf pic.twitter.com/fx6LZ1gmRr
— AccuWeather (@breakingweather) April 8, 2019
“Spring has arrived and severe weather season has arrived,” CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said.
Javaheri said portions of Mississippi, parts of Georgia—including Atlanta—as well as Charlotte, Richmond and Raleigh could be affected by the storms.
He also warned of a flooding risk from expected heavy rain in the already-saturated Mississippi River valley.
SEVERE STORMS STRIKE: Lightning, heavy rain, hail and high winds slammed the Southeast today, with more than 40 million Americans in the path of severe weather as the storm system moves east. @RobMarciano reports. https://t.co/Yw0SPtPeUa pic.twitter.com/SDs9JzdXJm
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) April 8, 2019
Later in the week, another storm system is expected to move out of the Rockies and dump snow from Colorado toward the Great Lakes.
The storm could bring blizzard conditions to parts of the Upper Plains Wednesday through Thursday, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said.
Along with this storm system is a drastic wave of temperatures in the northern tier of the country ranging from 10 to 20 degrees above normal to 15 to 20 degrees below normal through the end of the week, Guy said.
Hail Stones and Tornado Hit Southern Texas
The state of Texas was hit by severe weather and strong storms on Sunday, April 7.
Video and photographs posted on social media showed hailstones as big as golf balls and baseballs falling in the city of Alto, southeast of Dallas.
Forecasts suggest a combination of storms in the area could bring the possibility of more rain and damaging winds.
A weak tornado damaged recreational vehicles and mobile homes in south Texas, but no injuries were reported, as storms raked Texas and the South for a second day.
National Weather Service senior forecaster Waylon Collins says a preliminary report shows a tornado with winds from 65 mph to 85 mph.
The storm destroyed about a dozen recreational vehicles and damaged about 50 more. Collins says several mobile homes were blown over. He says there are no reports of injuries so far.
What may have been a tornado ripped through the small town of San Gabriel in Milam, county Texas. Thankfully no one was hurt but at least one home may be a total loss and a couple buildings were destroyed.
Posted by Adam Hammons on Saturday, April 6, 2019
Almost 180,000 customers in Texas were without electricity at one point Sunday, mostly around Houston.
High winds were reported in south Texas and Mississippi’s Delta region.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
