A relentless and expanding severe weather outbreak is reaching a dangerous peak today as it moves across the Mississippi Valley and the Midwest.
After days of destruction in the Plains, meteorologists are warning that Monday could bring the most intense activity yet, putting millions of people in the path of long-track tornadoes and destructive winds.
The streak of storms has already proven lethal. At least one person died after a tornado tore through Runaway Bay, Texas, on Saturday. The tragedy follows a week of extreme atmospheric volatility that has produced over 30 tornadoes and 230 reports of hail.
Among these was a massive twister in Enid, Oklahoma, which packed 175 mph winds, making it the strongest tornado recorded globally so far this year.
“This will be a dangerous stretch of severe weather across the central United States,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski. “The atmosphere is primed for multiple rounds of thunderstorms, with conditions intensifying on Monday.”
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The threat level is highest for a nearly 1,000-mile stretch running from Mississippi north to Wisconsin. Experts are particularly focused on the St. Louis region and parts of Illinois and Iowa. While St. Louis has managed to dodge the worst of the weather over the last several days, forecasters say that streak of luck is likely ending as warm, humid air collides with an advancing storm system.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys warned that this specific window poses a “growing threat for a dangerous tornado outbreak.” Forecasters are concerned that some of these tornadoes could reach EF3 intensity or higher, with winds exceeding 100 mph and the potential to stay on the ground for long distances.
In addition to the tornado risk, the storms are expected to drop “monstrous” hail. Over the weekend, residents in Texas and Oklahoma reported stones measuring 2 to 3 inches in diameter. “Large hail has already caused significant damage across the region,” Roys noted, advising people to protect their vehicles and stay away from windows.
As the storms push through Missouri and Illinois on Monday night, the danger shifts to the difficulty of spotting tornadoes after dark. Residents are being urged to have multiple ways to receive emergency alerts that can wake them up during the night.
By Tuesday, the immediate threat of tornadoes is expected to dwindle, but the danger won’t disappear. The system is forecast to shift into the Ohio Valley, where the primary concern will transition from wind and hail to flash flooding as heavy rain falls on already saturated ground.
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