Powerful storm system slams central and eastern US, spawning multiple tornadoes: Updates

A major storm system slammed parts of the central and eastern U.S. Tuesday as it moved across the country, damaging buildings, knocking out power to thousands of homes, and toppling trees.

About 78 million people were under severe weather advisories from the National Weather Service, which warned of flash floods, long-track tornadoes, and baseball-size hail. A tornado watch remained in place for parts of Georgia and Alabama on Tuesday night, according to a weather database maintained by USA TODAY.

Meteorologists said the Ohio and Tennessee valleys were at the highest risk. Parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana were under a significant threat of tornadoes, with two tornadoes already confirmed in Kentucky on Tuesday.

In Tennessee, Morgan County officials reported a possible tornado touchdown around 5:30 p.m. local time. The storm in the area brought down power lines and trees, and scattered debris on roads.

The severe weather caused at least one death. KJRH-TV reported that a 46-year-old unhoused woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, died after seeking shelter in a storm drain.

Intense storm conditions may be felt as far south as the Gulf Coast and as far east as western portions of Virginia and the Carolinas, the weather service said. Rain will pour down through midweek from the central Appalachians to the mid-Atlantic coast, according to AccuWeather. Meteorologists warned that the heavy rainfall may cause urban and flash flooding.

More than 316,000 utility customers across West Virginia, Kentucky, and other states were without power as of Tuesday night as winds as high as 92 mph battered the region, according to a database maintained by USA TODAY.

Several possible tornadoes also flattened buildings, uprooted trees and snapped utility polls across a vast swath of the Midwest late Monday and Tuesday. Schools districts canceled classes, delayed their start or let students go home early.

Meanwhile, communities in Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana and Illinois began to survey the wreckage while others still faced fierce conditions. Along with those in the Midwest, cities on the track of the storm include Nashville, Birmingham and Atlanta. Multiple crashes were also reported, including one in which two commercial vehicles overturned on an Indiana interstate and left several people injured.

The large system fueled storms that have had coast-to-coast impacts since the weekend, when damaging hail fell across the Midwest and heavy rain in Southern California led to the partial collapse of a major highway.

Kentucky officials assess storm damage to homes

The National Weather Service in Louisville, Kentucky, issued a tornado watch for the Louisville metro area until 10 p.m. local time Tuesday. Weather service meteorologist Brian Neudorff said the biggest concerns are tornadoes, wind gusts of up to 80 mph, and baseball-size hail.

Damages were reported across central and eastern Kentucky, and two tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down on Tuesday, according to a forecast from the weather service.

Emergency personnel were in a "search and rescue phase" after about 10 homes were reported damaged in Oldham County, according to county emergency management director Zack Wilt. Some homes had severe roof damage and at least one home collapsed in Prospect, just northeast of Louisville.

Other damage reports included downed wires and fallen trees. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or deaths.

Crews in Oklahoma survey tornado damage

Severe thunderstorms and hail that developed in Oklahoma on Monday evening spawned several tornado warnings. At least two tornadoes were reported in northeastern Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service.

The tornadoes caused damage to parts of Osage County, the weather service said. A crew from the weather service surveyed the damage Tuesday to determine an official track and tornado rating.

A spokesperson for the weather service in Tulsa, Oklahoma, said the agency received reports of damage in Barnsdall and Hominy, along with areas near Bartlesville. Many homes and the Barnsdall school building were left without power, causing Barnsdall Public Schools to cancel Tuesday classes.

Ohio weather map

'High winds and blowing dust' in Texas cause 30-car pileup

At least 30 cars were involved in a massive pileup crash on a Texas state highway on Monday caused by "limited visibility due to high winds and blowing dust," the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a news release.

A preliminary investigation found that four separate crashes occurred on a less than 1-mile stretch of FM 1555 near SH 349 in Upton County. The crash totaled 12 cars.

No one was killed in the incident, authorities said. Some people were taken to local hospitals for treatment of minor and non-life-threatening injuries.

The roadway was closed after the crash and reopened on Monday night by 8 p.m., according to officials.

Ohio firefighters rescue 2 from flooding

Firefighters in Columbus, Ohio, rescued a couple who were trapped under a bridge by the rising water of the Scioto River on Tuesday morning, the Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

A boat from the Columbus Division of Fire picked up the couple, who were sleeping under the Broad Street Bridge at around 8:45 a.m. local time. The bridge, also called the Discovery Bridge, stretches more than 600 feet and borders downtown Columbus.

The pair were brought to shore without injury.

Reports of damage in Evansville, Indiana

Shortly after she woke up early Tuesday, Eileen Helmen heard a siren in the distance. Listening to the radio on her nightstand, a tornado warning soon prompted her to take cover in her guest bathroom, where she shut herself in and huddled for about a half hour.

As the rain began to subside around 7:30 a.m., Helmen, 70, decided to head to a church in Evansville, Indiana, where she works as a receptionist. On the drive, she saw tree limbs, outdoor furniture and other debris strewn across roads throughout the city. Several street lights were out, including at busy intersections.

“We were spared,” Helmen said of the Christian Fellowship Church and her neighborhood. “But, there were places that got hit bad...”

The city of Evansville in a post on X said there was, "Significant storm damage throughout the city; particularly north side." The statement added that city crews were working to clear the roads and urged residents to "please be careful if you have to go out!"

There were no immediate reports of injuries in Vanderburgh County, which encompasses Evansville, according to Sheriff Noah Robinson, who told the Courier & Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, that deputies were still canvassing damaged neighborhoods.

As of mid-morning, CenterPoint Energy reported more than 22,000 of its customers in Southwestern Indiana were without power because of storm damage. Several hundred outages were reported by utility company Kenergy in Western Kentucky, as well.

The Evansville Wartime Museum announced it would cancel all events and issue refunds to those who had purchased tickets, saying it had "heavily sustained damage." Photos posted on the museum's Facebook page show caved in ceiling tiles and exposed insulation.

"It's a little rough out here in the county, though the city has some power outages as well," Robinson said. "We're dealing with dozens of downed trees and in some cases power lines."

Thunderstorms to hit Northeast and Southeast

Throughout the week, the large storm system will bring showers and severe thunderstorms across the mid-Atlantic and parts of the Southeast, meteorologists said.

The National Weather Service issued a slight risk of severe thunderstorms for Wednesday and Thursday, warning of frequent lightning, strong wind gusts, hail and "a few tornadoes," throughout both regions.

The major storm conditions in the southeast and mid-Atlantic are expected to subside by Friday, according to the weather service.

Heavy snow forecast in Midwest, Northeast

Heavy snow was forecast Tuesday across northern Illinois, much of Wisconsin and Michigan, the weather service reported.

At least 4 to 8 inches of snow was possible across these areas. The greatest chances of heavy snow was in eastern Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The same storm will also unleash snow throughout the Northeast, beginning Wednesday and lasting through Friday, the weather service said.

Significant amounts of snow are likely to fall over Upstate New York and northern New England. With gusty winds, there's a high likelihood that the storm will disrupt travel because of low visibility and slippery roads. The heavy snow and powerful wind gusts may also damage trees and impact infrastructure, the service said.

US weather watches and warnings

National weather radar

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Ryan Reynolds and Jon Webb, Evansville Courier & Press; Shahid Meighan, Bethany Bruner, and Nathan Hart, Columbus Dispatch; Ana Rocío álvarez Brí?ez and Rachel Smith; Louisville Courier Journal; Alexia Aston, The Oklahoman; Knoxville News Sentinel

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe storm threatens parts of US with hail, tornadoes, power outages