Severe Weather Continues to Batter Southern United States

For the fourth consecutive day, the southern United States faced another round of severe weather on Sunday, marked by devastating tornadoes and widespread flash flooding. The inclement weather persisted as various regions were still grappling with the aftermath of several tornadoes that had inflicted significant damage since Friday.

On Saturday night, a lethal tornado outbreak wreaked havoc across Oklahoma, following a similarly destructive series of tornadoes in Nebraska and Iowa the previous day. The situation worsened on Sunday with storms causing extensive power outages throughout parts of Texas. Reports from PowerOutage.us indicated that approximately 52,000 customers were without electricity in northeast Texas by Sunday evening. Additionally, a potential tornado near Madisonville, Texas, along with fallen power poles approximately 10 miles away in Bedias, compounded the crisis. Near Henderson, Texas, a storm with winds reaching nearly 60 mph toppled trees, exacerbating the damage.

Current Conditions and Ongoing Threats

Currently, showers and thunderstorms are slowly moving eastward, affecting the Plains, Midwest, and southern states. These storms are not only bringing tornadoes, but also damaging winds and hail, alongside significant rainfall that has prompted the National Weather Service to issue multiple Flash Flood Warnings.

A radar loop from the past three hours illustrates the ongoing severe weather activity, with Severe Thunderstorm Warnings highlighted in yellow and Tornado Warnings in red. Warnings for confirmed tornadoes appear in purple, while Flash Flood Warnings and Emergencies are shown in green and pink, respectively.

Widespread Impact and Continued Risks

The stormy conditions are expected to persist into the night across East Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and southwestern Missouri. These areas anticipate damaging winds, large hail, and the possibility of additional tornadoes, with the highest threat level projected over East Texas, northwestern Louisiana, and southwestern Arkansas. A more isolated severe weather threat looms over the upper and mid-Mississippi Valley.

An estimated 42 million people remain within the severe thunderstorm risk zone for Sunday. Moreover, millions are at risk of dangerous flash flooding, particularly in eastern Texas and Oklahoma, extending into the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley. Here, slow-moving showers and storms, capable of producing rainfall rates between 1-3 inches per hour, pose a significant threat.