Residents in several states are under tornado watches and warnings on Wednesday as a severe weather outbreak spreads from portions of the Great Lakes to parts of east Texas and Louisiana.
Tornado Warnings have been issued for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.
Meantime, Tornado Watches have been issued for parts of Northern and Southwest Indiana, Lower Michigan, Northwest Ohio, Central and Eastern Arkansas, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, Northwest Mississippi, West Tennessee, Eastern Oklahoma, and Northeast Texas.
The alerts are expected to stay active from mid-morning into late Wednesday evening.
A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
A Tornado Warning means a tornado touchdown is imminent. Persons in these areas should move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.
Residents in areas under a Tornado Watch should pay attention to local forecasts, as the alert could change to a Tornado Warning at any time.
The National Weather Service said the main threats will be severe thunderstorms, high winds, large hail and a few tornadoes. Scattered damaging wind gusts could reach up to 75 mph and isolated large hail events could reach up to 2.5-inches in diameter, the NWS said. Flash flooding is also possible.
"An extensive and complex severe scenario is underway with a large corridor of severe-thunderstorm potential -- ongoing this morning from northeast Texas to the Upper Great Lakes," the NWS said. "This threat will spread eastward into a destabilizing air mass across the outlook area today, offering all severe hazards (tornado, large-hail and damaging-gust threats)."
The severe weather zone stretches from Southeastern Michigan across Southern Indiana, Western Kentucky, Southern Arkansas, Northwestern Louisiana and portions of the middle Texas Coast, to the lower Rio Grande Valley of deep south Texas. The storm cell is expected to be followed by a cold front that reaches Eastern New York, Central Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Northwestern Alabama and Central Louisiana to the middle Texas Coast.
The expected tornado activity comes on the heels of a devastating line of storms that left dozens of people dead last weekend. At least 59 tornadoes were confirmed across 11 states in the South and Midwest. More than 30 people were killed and dozens more injured.
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