Severe storms cause tornadoes to hit Northern California
During a severe storm on April 12, a tornado briefly formed near Vina, California, according to the National Weather Service.
A series of severe storms will threaten parts of the central United States over the next few days, with thunderstorms, high winds, hail, and the possibility of tornadoes posing the greatest danger from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes on April 14th.
Areas including eastern Iowa, northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin will most likely see large to very large hail, several tornadoes, including some strong tornadoes, and damaging wind gusts, according to the Storm Prediction Center. More severe storms with strong wind gusts are possible for other parts of the Northeast.
All major cities including Dallas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Kansas City, Des Moines and Chicago were in severe weather zones on April 14, according to AccuWeather.
AccuWeather reports that repeated heavy rains through at least the middle of the week will increase the risk of flooding. The storm could affect travel on highways and cause delays at airports. More than 1,600 miles could be affected by severe weather this week, the newspaper reported. Some areas may experience multiple storms and heavy rain, increasing the risk of flash flooding.
“The atmosphere is bracing for a storm that could rapidly intensify. Destructive hail, damaging wind gusts, flash flooding, and tornadoes are all possibilities as the storm roars in,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys. “Large hail can break windshields and damage roofs. Strong winds can knock down trees, knock out power, and quickly create dangerous travel conditions.”
Severe storms continue for several days
Forecasters said the storm will continue to cause severe weather for several days. The improved weather will bring storms and heavy rain to the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region as “regular events later in the day,” according to the National Weather Service. Storms typically move from west to east.
Strong to severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected to become more active in the central and southern plains later in the day and into the evening, the Bureau of Meteorology said. These will extend from northeast Missouri to the Midwest.
Parts of the Midwest, home to more than 14 million people, including Chicago, are at increased risk of severe storms. Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin; Des Moines, Iowa. Aurora, Illinois, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Other major cities at risk of severe storms on April 14 include Detroit, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City, Missouri. Cleveland, Ohio. and Omaha, Nebraska.
On April 15, the Storm Prediction Center announced an increased risk of large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes across the Southern Plains and toward the Great Lakes during the afternoon and evening hours.
Tornadoes were reported during the April 13 storm.
There were preliminary reports of tornadoes in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas on April 13, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
There were also reports of hail ranging from pea-sized hail in Marseilles, Illinois to baseball-sized hail in Nicollet, Minnesota.
A tornado was reported on April 13 in Ottawa, Kansas, a town of about 12,000 people in eastern Kansas. Officials said much of the town was without power and no streetlights were on after the storm hit on April 13. The fire department asked residents to stay home so first responders can respond to calls.
“Multiple power lines are down and may not be visible in the dark,” the Ottawa Fire Department said on the night of April 13.
Gusty winds damaged the roof and walls of a T-Mobile store in Ottawa, according to a weather bureau storm report.
