WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal forecasters are warning residents across three separate regions of the country to prepare for a dangerous mix of severe thunderstorms and flash flooding Thursday, with damaging wind gusts, large hail, and heavy rainfall all expected within a single 24-hour window.
Three Danger Zones Identified by Forecasters
According to an outlook issued by the National Weather Service, covering the period from 8 a.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday, severe weather is expected to develop across three distinct clusters. The first stretches from the Dakotas down through Nebraska and Kansas. The second sits over a section of Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The third targets the Mid-Atlantic corridor, including Virginia, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania.
Officials say the biggest threats in these zones are strong wind gusts and large hail, with storms expected to fire up Thursday afternoon and persist into the evening.
Flooding Threat Adds to the Danger
Adding to the risk, forecasters say the same general areas — the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys along with the Mid-Atlantic — are also under threat of flash and urban flooding from heavy downpours. Because this flooding risk overlaps directly with the severe storm zones, some communities could be hit with damaging wind or hail and flooding from the same storm system on the same day.
Officials note this overlap raises the chance of compound impacts, meaning residents in parts of Missouri, Kentucky, and the Mid-Atlantic may need to prepare for more than one hazard at once.
Rain Expected Far Beyond the Warning Zones
Even outside the highlighted danger areas, forecasters say a much larger stretch of the country will see rain and thunderstorms Thursday, spanning from the Plains through the Great Lakes, the Southeast, and into the Northeast.
The National Weather Service is urging residents in the northern Plains, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic to stay alert and monitor updated forecasts as Thursday’s system takes shape.