Share to ClassroomStorms Threaten 90 Million Across US Midwest
This week, dangerous storms could hit the central United States. More than 90 million people are at risk. The National Weather Service warns of large hail, strong winds, tornadoes, and flash floods. Forecasters say up to 4 inches of rain could fall on Tuesday. On Monday, storms caused 65 flash flood reports in nine states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas. North Dakota faces the worst risk on Tuesday, and Minneapolis on Wednesday.
A deep dip in the jet stream — a fast band of wind high in the sky — is helping to create the storms. Warm, wet air gives them energy to grow. Earlier storms already soaked the South. Tennessee got up to 9 inches of rain. A flash flood emergency was declared near Huntsville, Alabama. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warns of a "significant" severe weather event for the Upper Midwest.
The storms have already turned deadly. In Queens, New York, an 85-year-old man died when a tree fell on him. Winds reached 64 miles per hour in Brooklyn, and more than 250 trees fell across the city. In Pittsburgh, a man said strong winds pushed his house off its supports. By Thursday, more than 26 million people in Chicago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee will face risk as the storms move east.
