Severe thunderstorms across the southern and eastern U.S. threatened a barrage of dangerous weather conditions from flooding rains and destructive winds to "very large hail" and possible tornadoes, forecasters said.
Over 9 million people across northern Texas and southern Oklahoma were at "moderate" and "enhanced" risk of severe thunderstorms through the day and into the evening, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, potent storms and showers could lead to flooding in the Carolinas and Virginia, and as north as New York.
Over 12 counties in southeastern Texas and parts of western Louisiana were under severe thunderstorm watch. Flood warnings, which indicates that flooding is imminent or has been reported, were active throughout the central and southern U.S., especially along major rivers following rounds of heavy rain late last week and over the weekend.
In Texas, more than 86,000 homes and businesses are without power, according to PowerOutage.us. The state has been battered by consistent, powerful thunderstorms since last week, including at least one that turned deadly.
Federal forecasters suggest the strengthening storms could have impacts from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes and the Northeast as they expand. Flood watches warning of the looming bout of heavy rainfall were in place across western New York and swaths of northern Pennsylvania.
