Great Plains And Midwest Prep For More Tornadoes: Here’s Where They Might Hit
Topline
Over 3.8 million people in the Great Plains are under threat of high or moderate threat of tornadoes on Monday, as another large storm system threatens the storm-battered region over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only one week after devastating tornadoes killed five people in Oklahoma.
Monday’s storms come about one week after tornadoes struck Oklahoma and Nebraska. Associated Press
Key Facts
Thunderstorms will begin to develop in the early afternoon in western Oklahoma, the National Weather Service said, and conditions will worsen as the storms move eastward into Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
The epicenter of Monday’s storms appears to be central Oklahoma and southern Kansas, including the cities of Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman and Wichita, according to projections published by the NWS—but the storm will also pose an “enhanced risk” to a much larger area, including parts of northern Texas and the cities of Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri.
The region has a moderate risk of “strong long track tornadoes,” softball-sized hail and wind speeds of more than 80 mph, which will continue through 3 a.m. on Tuesday for some parts of the Sooner State.
The storms over the central plains have the potential to create a supercell—a type of thunderstorm with a “deep and persistent rotating updraft” that has the potential to create violent weather, including devastating tornadoes, according to the NWS.
In a post on X on Monday morning, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said the state was “planning for the worst and praying for the best,” and announced the Emergency Operations Center was activated and placed on alert ahead of the storms.
What To Watch For
The storm system is expected to move east on Tuesday, and will pose a slight tornado risk as it moves directly over Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. “A few tornadoes, large to very large hail, and severe/damaging winds all appear possible” in the region home to 20 million people, the NWS said. Even more scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop over the Great Plains and Midwest on Wednesday, with over 21 million people at an enhanced risk of severe weather in a large region that stretches from northeastern Texas through Illinois and Kentucky. “All severe hazards, including tornadoes, very large hail, and severe/damaging winds should occur,” the NWS said in an early forecast. “Some of the tornadoes may be strong.”
Key Background
Monday’s storm system approaches the Great Plains only one week after another storm struck the region, bringing category EF-4 tornadoes to central Oklahoma, with wind speeds between 166 and 200 mph. Multiple tornadoes spawned across the state, killing a total of five people, including an infant. In Nebraska, category EF-3 tornadoes devastated neighborhoods in Omaha, destroying at least 150 buildings but miraculously killing no people in the city of over 485,000 people. Over 100 tornadoes spawned across the region over the course of the weekend, AccuWeather reported.
Further Reading
MORE FROM FORBESSevere Storms Threaten Tornado-Battered Nebraska, Iowa And Oklahoma-And More Tornadoes Are PossibleBy James Farrell
