Stormy weather on Tuesday is expected to bring severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, potentially strong tornadoes, and hurricane-force winds to the southern Plains and several Southeastern states.
An enhanced warning covered almost all of Tennessee and Kentucky, affecting 13.6 million people, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Isolated “tennis ball-sized” hail is possible in some places and tornadoes could reach speeds of 95 mph, NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center said.
Another 23 million people are under a slight risk of severe weather, from Indianapolis to Atlanta.
Memphis, Nashville, Lexington, Louisville, Paducah, Birmingham, Indianapolis, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Knoxville are among the cities in the risk zone on Tuesday.
The storms come days after 28 people were confirmed dead following extreme weather over the weekend in the Lower Midwest and the South. More than 127,000 energy customers were without power as of Tuesday morning, including 48,000 in Missouri, according to PowerOutage.us.
According to preliminary National Weather Service reports, at least five suspected tornadoes barreled through Oklahoma and Nebraska on Monday evening. However, there have so far been no reports of injuries or deaths.
Since Thursday, there have been 115 tornadoes across the country, making this year the second-highest ever for twisters.
According to the National Weather Service field office in Boulder, two Colorado tornadoes in Bennett and the Elkhorn neighborhood were rated EF2 (111 to 135 mph).
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a post on X that while some storms may move through the area overnight, “the largest risk begins tomorrow in Western Kentucky at 11 a.m. CT, 12 noon ET.” He told MSNBC on Monday that a tornado that hit the city of Somerset measured either EF3 or EF4, the second-highest rating.
“Where it hit directly, there’s nothing left of the homes but a two-foot pile of rubble,” Beshear said.
He announced plans to evacuate parts of London and Somerset on Tuesday night, starting at 6 p.m., due to strong winds and resulting debris. Beshear did not specify which communities would be evacuated, but said police will inform those in the area to leave.
Beshear added that he hopes to allow people to return home by 11 p.m., but said the evacuation may be extended based on weather conditions.
Drone photography of the area showed utter devastation and barely standing homes. Trailers were being set up in a nearby park to house displaced families.
Officials said Monday that the cost to repair damage from a Friday tornado in St. Louis was estimated to be more than $1 billion.
On Wednesday, the risk for severe weather is much lower; however, some gusty thunderstorms may impact the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coasts.
