- The threat of severe weather, including damaging hail, strong winds and some tornadoes, is sweeping across the Southeast.
- It's part of a wave of severe weather that has swept across the country since Monday, hitting more than 20 states.
- At least five people died.
At least five people were killed in an outbreak of severe weather and tornadoes across the Plains on Monday that spread to more than a dozen states and wreaked havoc across the central United States.
The latest death occurred Friday morning when a Tallahassee, Florida, woman died when a tree fell on her home, according to the Leon County Sheriff's Office.
Florida State University closed campus in Tallahassee that day and urged people to avoid the area. Photos posted on social media showed damage caused by the storm on campus, including A circus run by university students.
A large tree rests on a downed power line on Old St. Augustine Road in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday, May 10, 2024. state.
(AP Photo/Phil Sears)
On Thursday, two deaths were confirmed in Tennessee and one death was reported in North Carolina. A fourth victim has been confirmed after a powerful EF4 tornado flattened the town of Barnsdale, Oklahoma, on Monday night. Dozens of people were reportedly injured, including a 10-year-old boy who was swept into a storm drain.
With more than 100 tornadoes reported since Monday, Wednesday officially became the most active 24-hour period for severe thunderstorms since last August. The focus turned Thursday night to hail and severe weather in and around Texas as survey teams across the Midwest and South continued to assess damage.
Read on for our updates throughout the day Thursday:
(5:50 p.m. ET) This week’s data (so far)
As tornado assessments continue, latest update suggests tornado count has surpassed 100 tornado The phenomena have either been confirmed by the National Weather Service or spotted by observers since Monday. This count covers tornado activity 22 different statesacross South Dakota to Georgia.
A Maury County Sheriff's deputy searches a storm-damaged home along Blackburn Lane on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Columbia, Tennessee.
(AP Photo/George Walker IV)
including at least 11 “Strong” tornado, reaching EF2 intensity or higher, with one destructive tornado rated EF4. A devastating tornado struck the town of Barnsdale, Oklahoma, on Monday night.
The report shows at least Ohio hit by 14 tornadoesIt is the state with the largest number of people affected by the epidemic so far.
Severe weather attacks have taken place Over 1,100 reportsincluding large hail, wind damage and tornado events.
(5:30 p.m. ET) Baseball-sized hail hits South
Social media users in Texas shared photos of large hail from the afternoon storm.
The largest hailstone ever recorded measured 2.75 inches near Toral, Texas.
(3:55 p.m. ET) Texas, please drive in
Large hail and damaging winds will hit Texas this afternoon and evening. It was predicted that hailstones could range in size from golf balls to tennis balls.
This is a major cause for concern. Hail in Texas may make a “clicking” sound as it falls. Hail storms in the Lone Star State have been cited as disasters costing millions and even billions of dollars.
This year, hail and severe weather caused nearly $9 billion in damage in Texas alone.
Three separate storms last May killed at least two people and caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, farms and infrastructure.
Find tips for protecting your car from hail here and read more about the dangers of hail storms here.
(3:35 p.m. ET) Child washed into storm drain 'needs a miracle'
A 10-year-old boy in Tennessee is fighting for his life after being swept into a storm drain. His father, Rutherford County Schools Superintendent Jimmy Sullivan, asked for prayers on social media.
According to the Associated Press, Asher Sullivan was playing with other children in the street while adults cleaned up the debris. He was submerged in floodwaters and was eventually rescued in a drainage ditch and given CPR.
“The loss is huge,” Sullivan's father wrote on Facebook. “Arthur needs a miracle.”
Sullivan is being treated at Vanderbilt University Hospital.
(2:55 p.m. ET) A glimmer of hope
There is some good news for parts of the country that haven't seen the devastating consequences of these severe storms. Let our experts look at the “bright side.”
Weather.com Senior Meteorologist Jonathan Edelman explain:
“One of the few benefits of the recent storms is that the U.S. drought has now shrunk to its smallest size since the COVID-19 pandemic first spread rapidly across the U.S.. According to the latest Drought Monitor analysis released Thursday, only 10 of the 48 U.S. states have 15% of the dry area is affected by drought, which is the smallest area affected by drought in the contiguous United States since April 28, 2020.
For context, last October, 40% of the lower 48 states were in drought.
(2:20 p.m. ET) Damage assessment ongoing
As assessments of tornado damage continue to emerge this week, the National Weather Service office in Tulsa provided more details about the EF-4 tornado that struck Barnsdall. The tornado's path was more than 39 miles long and lasted for 53 minutes, causing severe damage.
Meanwhile, in northern Alabama, NWS team surveys in Brigadoon and Henagar both showed damage from at least EF-2 tornadoes in those areas. While assessments are ongoing, the teams are unlikely to complete a full investigation before tomorrow, underscoring the extent of the damage and the challenges response teams face in the aftermath.
(12:00 p.m. Eastern Time) Flight delays at Southeast Airport
Thunderstorms across the Southeast caused ground delays at multiple airports. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates flights arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be delayed by about an hour. There were also delays at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.
(11:45 a.m. ET) Utilities damaged in Tennessee
About 50,000 homes and businesses in Tennessee remain without power, and utility company the Tennessee Valley Authority reported that six high-voltage transmission lines were damaged amid the severe outbreak.
(9:00 AM ET) What is Supercell?
Since Monday, a supercell in the Plains, Midwest and South has caused dangerous severe weather conditions, including tornadoes, large hail and strong winds. But what are super cells? Overall, supercells are a storm. Supercells are unique, however, in that their rotating updrafts are called mesocyclones. This helps these storms last for hours, as you often see during severe weather outbreaks.
(8:40 a.m. ET) Where flooding is most likely in South Carolina
The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings and flash flood warnings as showers and thunderstorms move into South Carolina. Where are floods expected? The most likely locations for flash flooding are south of U.S. Highway 74 and west of Interstate 77. As always, please heed local advice and never drive into flood water.
(7:50 a.m. ET) What we'll be watching closely in the next few hours
Senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said: “This morning, a complex of strong to severe storms will continue to slide south through northern Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. in parts of the state and continued into the afternoon. These storms can produce damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall as well as the threat of isolated tornadoes. Later today we'll be keeping an eye on potentially damaging hail as storms break out of parts of central and eastern Texas into ArkLaTex. Finally, tonight we are keeping a close eye on the potential for a prolonged damaging wind event in the south, which could continue into early Friday. A series of storms could develop over eastern Texas and move toward parts of Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and southwestern Georgia.
(7:45 a.m. ET) Storm seen on satellite imagery
Storms moving through middle Tennessee Wednesday evening were seen in satellite imagery.
(6:30 a.m. ET) Drone footage shows widespread damage in Tennessee
In Tennessee, the state declared a tornado emergency and homes were flattened as storms swept through the area. Drone footage from the town of Columbia gives a sense of the extent of the damage in Tennessee. Columbia's mayor said that in addition to road closures, officials were aware of “injury and property damage” caused by the storm.
See the video here.
(6:20 a.m. ET) Damage and injuries reported in north Alabama
Damage and injuries occurred last night in the town of Hanegal, Alabama, east of Huntsville, AL.com reported. The damage followed a tornado emergency in parts of DeKalb County.
The report added that it was unclear how many people were injured or the severity of the injuries, but crews worked through the night to clear debris in the wake of the storm.
(6:00 a.m. ET) More than 200,000 people are without power
More than 200,000 homes and businesses were without power early Thursday morning, according to data compiled by PowerOutage.us. The highest number of outages was reported in North Carolina, where more than 90,000 utility customers were without power. North Carolina was hit by a major storm last night that downed trees and downed power lines in some places.
(5:45 a.m. ET) Tornado watches issued for Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning, primarily for northern Georgia and extending into parts of North Carolina and Tennessee. The agency warned of the possibility of “a few tornadoes” as well as hail and wind gusts of up to 70 mph.
(5:15 a.m. ET) Flash flood warning issued for parts of the South
Flash flood warnings have the highest number of weather warnings issued this morning. Water rescues were needed to rescue people trapped by flooding in Tennessee last night. The National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency.
Severe storms are expected to break out again today, possibly triggering new thunderstorm or tornado warnings later in the day.
(5 a.m. ET) More than 900 severe weather reports have been received since the outbreak began
The storms hitting the South are a continuation of storms that started sweeping across the country from the Plains on Monday. Since then, there have been at least 919 reports of severe weather. Those reports included tornadoes, hail and damaging winds.
