A general view of a house leaning on its side after being hit by a tornado in Temple, Texas on Thursday. Severe storms are moving East for Memorial Day, forecasters said on Monday. Photo by Adam Davis/EPA-EFE
May 27 (UPI) — Forecasters predicted severe thunderstorms and heavy rain to slam the eastern United States on Memorial Day with isolated severe storms hitting the southern Plains, according to the National Weather Service.
Sunday was the most-active severe storm day of the year, one day after tornadoes struck Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky. There were at least 622 preliminary reports of severe weather from Wyoming to New Hampshire, according to Storm Prediction Center data. The previous high was 565 reports on May 8.
The same storm system hit Mississippi and Ohio Valleys on Sunday.
“After multiple days in a row of the central U.S. facing severe weather, the threat will finally shift eastward on Memorial Day,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
A moderate risk of severe thunderstorms will extend from north-central and northeastern North Carolina through central and eastern New York and into neighboring parts of eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec.
“In the zone of greatest risk, there is enough spin in the atmosphere such that a few isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out,” Pydynowski said. “In addition to this threat, strong winds, downpours and dangerous lightning can slow travel and impact outdoor events and gatherings.”
AccuWeather said 110 million will likely see severe weather risk, including cities like Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, N.C.
Parts of major highways will see strong weather including Interstates 76, 80, 81, 87, 90, and 95.
In the nation, 473,624 were without power Monday afternoon, including 145,069 in Kentucky, according to Poweroutages.us.
The weather also will lead to flight delays on the holiday. On Friday, 2,951,163 individuals were screened at checkpoints nationwide, surpassing the previous record on Nov. 26, 2023, according to the Transportation Security Administration on X.
At least 21 people died, including four children, after 14 reported tornadoes hit Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas on Saturday and Sunday . The seven dead in Texas included three family members in Texas found in one home near the small community of Valley View.
At least eight people reportedly died in Arkansas and four in Kentucky.
President Joe Biden spoke with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after “devastating tornadoes across the Southern Plains,” according to the White House.
“He expressed his condolences for the lives lost in each state,” the statement said. “The Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the ground conducting damage assessments with state and local counterparts.”
Late Sunday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued a statewide emergency declaration to make sure resources are available in the aftermath.