Maine town buried under a foot of snow as nor’easter batters east coast
Two people were killed in Pennsylvania when the storm caused trees to fall on their cars
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Your support makes all the difference.At least four people were killed after tornadoes and severe storms tore through several states this week.
Widespread thunderstorms rolled across the central and eastern US on Tuesday bringing tennis ball-sized hail, pounding rain and dangerous winds to at least 75 million people.
After lashing parts of Texas, Illinois and Oklahoma, the weather system moved from the northern parts of Indiana and Ohio and western Pennsylvania on its track east, with tornadoes touching down in Georgia, Ohio and Tennessee.
On Wednesday, two people were killed in Pennsylvania when the storm caused trees to fall on their cars, WPVI reported.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear confirmed that at least one victim was killed in the state – as the weather caused a car accident.
After two days of heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes, the east-ward moving storm system has now hit the US east coast, with severe weather hammering Florida up through New England and the northern border states.
As of Thursday morning, 137,000 homes in Maine were without power after a powerful Nor’easter hammered the state.
New study shows tornados are increasing in southern US states
A new study comparing tornado formation between 1984 and 2003 with tornado formation between 2004 and 2023 found that tornadoes are becoming more frequent. The study was conducted by Captain Experiences and drew on NOAA data.
Six of the top ten states to see tornado increases in the last 20 years — Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee — were southern states.
It’s not bad news everywhere though; Nashville has reported a decrease in storms over the last 20 years.
Confirmed EF-1 tornado hits Kentucky
An EF-1 tornado hit Kentucky earlier today, leaving some damaged buildings in its wake but thankfully no know injuries.
Joel Schipper, a local reporter with WDRB, shared images from Chaplin, Kentucky, where the tornado was spotted.
More than 75 million face severe weather threat
More than 75 million people from the Gulf Coast to Great Lakes may experience extreme weather over the next 24 hours, according to CNN’s Weather Centre.
Thunderstorms, baseball-sized hail, 60-80mph winds, and tornadoes have either already hit or are predicted to hit much of the eastern US over the next 24 hours.
In addition to th 75 million Americans who may experience severe thunderstorms, another 17 million from Illinois to Maryland face possible flood threats.
An EF-1 tornado already touched down in Chaplin, Kentucky, where it damaged buildings. Thankfully no one was injured by the storm.
WATCH: Multi-day severe storm threat kicks off April
Lexington, Kentucky mayor urges residents to be cautious as more storms likely to form
The mayor of Lexington, Kentucky warned residents to keep their eye on the weather after the region was slammed by severe storms early Tuesday morning, causing “significant damage”. He noted that forecasts called for more storms later in the day.
“We suffered significant damage this morning, with trees down, roads blocked, and traffic signals out after a first wave of storms with high winds moved through our city,” Mayor Linda Gorton said, according to WKYT. “According to our forecasters, even more significant storms are possible this afternoon. Residents need to remain vigilant and stay indoors if possible.”
The mayor said damage reports were coming into the city all morning and at least one person had been injured in the early morning storms.
Approximately 9,500 power customers in the Lexington area were without power this morning due to the severe weather.
Warm front sets the stage for even more storms in Ohio, NWS says
The National Weather Service in Cleveland said a warm front moving into northern Ohio will create conditions that may cause more storm development in the region.
The agency said there was an ehanced risk in place in the Cleveland area, with high winds, hail, and tornadoes a possibility.
Tornado watches in effect in five states
Tornado watches have been issued for parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service.
An EF-1 tornado touched down in Chaplin, Kentucky early on Tuesday and caused damage to buildings. Severe weather in Lexington left nearly 10,000 power customers in the dark and injured at least one person, according to the city’s mayor.
WATCH: Severe thunderstorms sweep across US Midwest in satellite imagery
Severe storms forecast for central Florida, Tallahassee on Wednesday
A storm system moving across the eastern half of the US may bring severe weather to central Florida on Wednesday, according to local meteorologists.
Some of the storms could produce small hail, damaging winds, and an isolated tornado risk, according to WFTV out of Orlando.
Tallahassee is also expected to see severe weather, including isolated rainstorms and potentially strong tornadoes, overnight as the system continues east.
“All threats are possible, so we could have damaging wind gusts, large hail, tornadoes — and some of the tornadoes could be strong,” Molly Merrifield, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee told the Tallahassee Democrat. “It actually looks like the storms could be strengthening as they push eastward through the area.”
Four tornadoes reported across Oklahoma, one person reported dead
At least four tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma on Tuesday as severe weather swept across the eastern portion of the US.
A tornado warning was issued in the town of Okarche after a funnel was spotted by local authorities. High winds also damaged buildings and powerlines in Osage County.
At least three of the reported tornadoes were spotted in northeastern portions of the state.
At least one death was attributed to the storm; a 46-year-old unhoused woman was reported dead in Tulsa after she took shelter from the weather in a drainage pipe, according to Mercury News.
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