Severe storm outbreak poised to clobber central US during relentless week of tornadoes, hail and floods
By Meteorologists Dakota Smith, Briana Waxman and CNN’s Kate S. Petersen
(CNN) — A new severe storm outbreak with potential intense tornadoes is set to slam the central US Friday, hitting areas already battered by a multi-day onslaught of twisters, massive hail and historic flooding.
The threat comes after nearly four dozen tornado reports and over 350 reports of hail — some as large as softballs — from Texas to the Great Lakes since Monday.
More tornadoes are expected, some of which could be EF3 or stronger, with the greatest threat centered in western Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. The storms will also be capable of destructive winds and large hail from Oklahoma City to Green Bay, Wisconsin, Friday afternoon and evening.
Ingredients align for a severe storm outbreak
A fresh surge of jet stream energy arriving in the central US on Friday will tap into Gulf moisture, likely igniting a severe storm outbreak, meaning there will be numerous storms, stretching from northern Texas to northern Wisconsin.
There is a Level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms with tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds Friday for places such as Chicago; Madison, Wisconsin; Kansas City, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Wichita, Kansas.
A Level 2 of 5 risk of severe storms is in place for Milwaukee; Oklahoma City; St. Louis; Des Moines, Iowa; and Springfield, Missouri.
Storms will erupt as soon as early afternoon in the northern part of the threat zone, then expand southward. This first batch of storms is most likely to spin up intense tornadoes — possibly EF3 or stronger — and unleash more destructive hail, possibly up to near the size of softballs.
Widespread damaging wind gusts of 60 mph to 90 mph will be capable of uprooting trees and knocking out power when they become the main threat by late afternoon and evening as thunderstorms race east. Tornadoes could also still spin up along the leading edge of these storms.
The storms could also produce flash flooding, including in already-soaked Chicago and Milwaukee, where there have been dozens of water rescues in recent days.
This system could produce one final burst of severe storms with a threat of strong winds Saturday in the upper Ohio Valley. The storm-weary central US will finally get a breather starting Sunday as a welcome change in weather pattern ushers in cooler temperatures.
Great Lakes brace for more flooding
Friday’s storms arrive as parts of the Great Lakes deal with significant flooding after repeated rounds of rain this week. The region is coming off one of its wettest starts to spring on record, combined with snowmelt from a very active winter.
Rivers in Michigan and Wisconsin have already hit major or record flood levels in over 20 locations.
The Wolf River in Wisconsin was nearly a foot above its record flood stage on Friday morning, the level at which many streets in the village of Shiocton are covered by up to a foot of water. Officials in Shiocton said the village was “dangerously under water” on Thursday evening after ordering evacuations on Wednesday, with officials there warning “if you do not leave, you may not be able to get out.”
In Michigan, officials are closely monitoring several dams under stress from high water.
A long stretch of the Muskegon River remained in major flood on Friday morning, with some locations nearing a crest while others were still rising. The flooding forced mandatory evacuations for “anyone remaining in the floodplain below Croton Dam” in Newaygo County, the county’s emergency services said. In Evart, Michigan, the river was nearing a crest on Friday morning after it forced rescues the day before when water began to impact homes, according to the Evart Fire Department.
Residents near and north of the Cheboygan dam complex were told to be ready to evacuate on Thursday morning as water levels continued to rise there, reaching 4.92 inches below the top of the dam by the afternoon. An evacuation order would be triggered if water reaches 1 inch below the top of the dam, a news release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources states.
In Antrim County, Michigan, officials have also advised all residents and businesses downstream of the Bellaire Dam to prepare for possible evacuation. Water levels were stable on Thursday afternoon, and there were signs that water levels were trending down after it rose to within 12 inches of the top of the dam Tuesday.
A flash flood watch is in effect for the potential failure of the Hesperia Dam in west-central Michigan. Water levels were trending down, the Hesperia Area Fire Department said on Friday morning, but said residents downstream from the dam should “remain alert and have an evacuation plan in place should conditions change.”
The-CNN-Wire
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