Severe storms threaten 30 million in central U.S. with hail, wind and flooding

A broad storm complex moving eastward over the next several days is expected to affect more than 30 million people from the central Plains to the northern Great Lakes with hail, strong straight-line winds and possible tornadoes. Power outages have already been reported, with over 35,000 customers without electricity in Kansas on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service indicated that 6 million people from North Dakota to northern Texas face wind gusts exceeding 75 mph, hail and tornado threats on Tuesday, while cities such as Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Des Moines, Kansas City and Wichita are forecast to experience similar hazards on Wednesday. Thursday’s outlook expands the risk to 43 million people across the same region.

Flood watches cover more than 13 million residents in parts of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. In Indiana, rising waters forced some residents onto their roofs, and officials reported floating propane tanks and live power lines. Montgomery County, Tennessee, kept a flood watch in effect through early afternoon on Tuesday.

Separately, heat advisories affect about 19 million people from northern Minnesota to northeast Texas, with heat indexes projected to reach 108 °F in some locations. By Friday, the heat wave is expected to move into the Mid-Atlantic, where up to two dozen cities could record their highest temperatures of the year, including Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Richmond.