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More severe storms aim this week for places still recovering from tornadoes

Posted at 11:16 AM, Apr 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-16 11:16:50-04

Another round of tornadoes, damaging winds and hail is expected to start Wednesday, posing a severe risk from the Texas Panhandle to the coast of the Carolinas.

The three-day event will unfold across about 1,400 miles, including parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic that got battered over the weekend by severe storms.

As the system treks east, parts of the Southeast could experience severe weather Thursday, with a large swath of the East Coast on track to feel impacts on Friday.

Storms first target the central United States

Storms are due to begin Wednesday in the middle of the country, with the most significant threat stretching from central-southeastern Texas to southern Kansas.

Large hail and isolated tornadoes are concerns for places including Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Oklahoma City.

Those areas already face an "enhanced risk" of severe thunderstorms -- the third of five risk levels -- according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center.

The storms, expected to organize Wednesday afternoon across the southern Plains, will become more widespread in the evening and into the night.

The biggest concern is the potential for large hail, possibly 2 inches or more in diameter. Strong winds are also possible, along with the risk of a few tornadoes.

Beyond the "enhanced risk" zone, a "slight risk" (Level 2 of 5) of severe storms extends from the Mexico-Texas border to Iowa. That includes densely populated areas around San Antonio; Tulsa, Oklahoma, Kansas City; Wichita, Kansas; and Shreveport, Louisiana.

Then the severe threat moves into the Deep South

As the system pushes east, the severe weather threat will persist.

Louisiana and Mississippi will be at risk Thursday morning, with the storms moving on Thursday afternoon through the evening into Alabama and Georgia. The Deep South faces a "slight risk" (Level 2 of 5) of severe storms, the Storm Prediction Center said.

Cities at risk include Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama; and Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.

The storms are expected to continue through the night, with the potential for damaging winds and possibly a tornado.

The danger ultimately aims for the East Coast

By Friday morning, the storms will near coastal Atlantic states, bringing the potential for severe weather from Florida to Washington.

The risk there will be partially dampened by the intense rainfall associated with the broad system, but conditions should still allow for a few individual storms to intensify.

The threat should diminish throughout the overnight hours as the cold front associated with the potent storms finally pushes off shore.