A second tornado outbreak in less than a week is threatening the Midwest region of the United States in the coming days, putting dozens of millions of people at risk in over a dozen states nationwide.
Weather forecasts indicated that powerful winds from twisters could lead to widespread infrastructural damage and life-threatening risks, as seen from related weather events recently.
Since the start of spring on March 20, the US witnessed two related outbreaks across the US.
The first outbreak occurred on the evening of March 24, wherein massive thunderstorms spawned tornadoes through Mississippi and Alabama, killing a total of at least 26 people.
The second outbreak transpired from March 31 to April 1, where a tornado outbreak wreaked havoc in Arkansas, killing over 30 people.
Second Tornado Outbreak
LITTLE ROCK, AR - MARCH 31: A resident and their pet evacuate from their neighborhood damaged by a tornado on March 31, 2023 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Tornados damaged hundreds of homes and buildings Friday afternoon across a large part of Central Arkansas. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency after the catastrophic storms that hit on Friday afternoon. According to local reports, the storms killed at least three people.
AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting many areas hit by severe thunderstorms last Friday will experience a similar threat starting late Tuesday, April 4.
The threat comes from yet another powerful storm system across the region, causing weather hazards ranging from damaging winds, large hail, to destructive tornadoes.
AccuWeather and the National Weather Service (NWS), whose forecasters were stationed in Wichita, Kansas, and State College, Pennsylvania, sounded the tornado alert over a week in advance.
Due to the threat, the meteorologists as of Monday morning, April 3, increased the threat level to extreme risk, which is only used for rare yet extremely dangerous weather events.
Latest reports as of Wednesday, April 5, confirmed that several tornadoes were seen in western Illinois and in Pleasantville, Iowa, during the late afternoon hours of Tuesday.
Similar tornado touchdowns are likely in the coming days.
Also Read: Deadly Tornado Outbreak Kills At Least Two People After Onslaught in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas
Millions at Risk
According to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the NWS, almost 70 million Americans are at risk, especially in the following cities and states:
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Springfield, Missouri
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Hot Springs, Arkansas
- Chicago, Illinois
Other areas across the region are still affected as the SPC highlights that a tornado threat is possible over parts of the Ozarks to the Ark-La-Tex region, which is the common point between the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
Arkansas, Mississippi Tornadoes
As mentioned earlier, Arkansas and Mississippi received the largest blow from the recent passing of severe thunderstorms across the mentioned regions, where it downed power lines and trees, as well as damaged multiple homes and buildings.
The Arkansas tornado struck the town of Little Rock, which left 32 people dead and dozens injured, with the NWS confirming 59 tornadoes occurred in 11 states during last weekend's tornado outbreak, ABC7 Chicago news reported.
Meanwhile, the Mississippi tornado left storm chasers and meteorologists in shock following the widespread devastation the tornadic storm caused in the small town of Rolling Fork, which left 25 people dead, the BBC reported.
Some people called the twister as a "wedge tornado."
Latest reports indicate the death toll has increased to 26.
Related Article: Deadly Tornado Outbreak Devastated Several US States