Central US Tornadoes Leave 18 Dead, Millions at Risk of Severe Weather

CNN reported that deadly tornadoes in the central United States have claimed 18 lives, including four children, with millions more facing ongoing severe weather threats. Nearly 109 million people across wide regions of the US are under threat of large hail, damaging winds, and fierce tornadoes, particularly in the mid-Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee River valleys.

As the storms advance eastward, the Storm Prediction Center issued warnings of “violent tornadoes, extreme hail, and widespread wind damage.” The affected areas include parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee, impacting approximately 4.7 million people.

At least 11 tornado reports were recorded on Sunday, with further severe weather anticipated on Memorial Day. Over 120 million individuals are at risk of severe weather, primarily along the East Coast and south of New England, where there is a level 2 out of 5 threat.

Additionally, storms that swept through Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky on Sunday are moving eastward, posing ongoing threats. These storms are forecasted to produce severe tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds.

Late Sunday night, deadly storms and tornadoes left hundreds of thousands of people across 13 states without power. Currently, over 642,000 individuals are without power, with Kentucky being the hardest hit, accounting for nearly 135,000 customers.

According to the National Weather Service, a special tornado watch has been issued, indicating unusually high confidence in the potential for multiple EF2-strength and long-lived tornadoes in the area. The Storm Prediction Center emphasized the likelihood of several possible tornadoes, hail larger than baseballs, and widespread wind gusts up to 85 mph.