Severe thunderstorms brought damaging weather and tornadoes to the Midwest and southern U.S. on Tuesday, with more impacts forecast on Wednesday.
A “damaging tornado” was confirmed in the early hours of Wednesday morning near Glenallen, Missouri, and fatalities and injuries were reported in the area.
Sgt. Clark Parrott, a spokesman with Troop E of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, told FOX Weather that the exact location of the injuries and deaths is unknown at this time.
“There are multiple people that have been displaced from their homes at this time,” he said. “Just because of the debris field, trying to get around the county is proving to be a little bit difficult, and the fact that it’s still nighttime.”
Responders were going from house to house and helping residents who might be trapped. Power lines and trees were down, and multiple roads were closed.
At least two twisters were confirmed Tuesday in Illinois, with one near Bryant and another touching down in Colona.
A rope-like tornado was spotted in central Iowa Tuesday. ((@MobileWxOffice via Storyful))
In central Iowa, storm chasers captured stunning videos and images of a long, spindly funnel wreaking havoc, and the National Weather Service in Des Moines warned of baseball- and golf-ball-sized hail.
Sunlight filters through storm clouds onto a wind turbine as severe weather rolls through the Midwest on April 4, 2023, south of Stuart, Iowa. ((Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP))
Earlier in the day, strong storms swept through the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois, bringing winds of up to 90 mph.
No injuries were reported, but trees fell and some businesses were damaged in Moline, Illinois.
The National Weather Service also received reports of semitrucks tipped over by winds in Lee County, about 95 miles west of Chicago.
A woman walks near an uprooted tree, a flipped vehicle and debris from homes damaged by a tornado on March 27, 2023, in Rolling Fork, Miss. ((AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File))
The agency cautioned that there is an enhanced risk of severe storms on Wednesday from the greater Memphis, Tennessee, metro area to southern Michigan, with “all modes of severe weather possible.”
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Severe storms can also be expected in the ArkLaTex region, with just a slight risk of severe storms.
Cars line up along the road as cleanup continues from Friday’s tornado damage, Sunday, April 2, 2023, in west Little Rock, Ark. ((Thomas Metthe/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP))
Notably, heavy rainfall may lead to localized flooding, and the Weather Prediction Center issued a slight risk of excessive rainfall from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley through the evening.
“It’s imperative that everyone in this region closely monitor the latest local forecasts and be prepared to take cover if warnings are issued, or seek higher ground in the event of flash flood warnings,” it said.
An ongoing winter storm was anticipated to bring snow and wind impacts for the northern Plains and upper Midwest, with blizzard conditions making travel dangerous.
Damage is seen at Wynne High School early Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Wynne, Ark., following severe weather the previous night. ((Nena Zimmer/The Jonesboro Sun via AP))
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All of this comes following the deadly tornadoes that spawned in 11 states last weekend, killing more than 30 people and destroying homes in Arkansas, Iowa and Illinois.
From March 31 through April 1, there were 48 confirmed tornadoes in the eastern U.S. and more in the central U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
