50 million people brace for tornadoes in the Heartland
About 50 million people in America's Heartland were in the storm zone on Monday, bracing for another day of destructive thunderstorms and tornadoes.
A level 4 out of 5 moderate risk for severe storms was in place across eastern Kansas, including the cities of Wichita, Topeka, Salina and Manhattan.
The new threat of twisters tearing through the Heartland comes a day after 20 tornadoes were reported in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas.
The rural Nebraska community of St. Libory, just north of Grand Island, appeared to be the hardest hit in the region on Sunday.
At least two homes in St. Libory were destroyed by a suspected tornado that swept through the community on Sunday evening, according to Howard County Emergency Management.
There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.
Full-time storm chaser Sierra Lindsey posted video on social media of a massive twister cutting across farmland and Highway 281 north of St. Libory on Sunday afternoon.
Severe weather spreading across the Heartland is expected to produce more funnel clouds on Monday afternoon.
A Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watch was issued Monday afternoon for parts of Kansas and southeastern Nebraska until 8 p.m. CT. Several tornadoes and a few intense tornadoes are likely in this region, along with large hail and damaging wind gusts.
Storms are expected to fire up Monday afternoon and move across the PDS watch area. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center said rapid supercell development is likely.
Residents from Oklahoma to Iowa, including the cities of Kansas City, Omaha, Lincoln and Des Moines, are also being advised to stay alert for twisters.
Flash flooding is also possible due to heavy thunderstorms. A flash flood watch is in place from southeast Nebraska through eastern Kansas and through western and central Missouri.
Storms are expected to start popping up sometime after 2 p.m. CT and will likely grow exponentially once underway.
Flash flooding is also possible in parts of the Heartland due to training thunderstorms, or storms that continue to develop and dump rain over the same area in a relatively short amount of time. A flash flood watch is in place from southeast Nebraska to eastern Kansas and through western and central Missouri.
On Tuesday, a level 2 of 5 risk for severe storms will be in place from Texas to Vermont.
Tuesday's storms are expected to follow a cold front snaking its way across the country. The main threats will be large hail and damaging wind, although isolated tornadoes are possible in the Great Lakes region.
Stormy weather will reach the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coast on Wednesday, from Richmond to Boston, with a level 1 out of 5 risk for strong winds and hail.
Summer-like temperatures expected in the East
Meanwhile, a big warm-up is expected to continue through Wednesday for most of the East, where afternoon temperatures on Monday are forecast to reach the 80s and 90s in many places.
The temperature in New York City is expected to reach the mid-80s on Monday and could hit the lower 90s in Washington, D.C.
It will be even hotter on Tuesday for a large swath of the I-95 corridor, with highs in the 90s from D.C. to Philadelphia and New York City.
Extreme fire weather danger
Extreme fire weather danger is forecast for Monday from northeast New Mexico, across the Texas Panhandle and into southwest Kansas and Oklahoma.
Some of the largest wildfires are burning in Meade County, Kansas, where three large wildfires have consumed more than 82,000 acres combined, officials said.
Wildfires in New Mexico and Minnesota also forced evacuations over the weekend.
Several wildfires broke out in parts of Minnesota on Saturday and grew rapidly. The largest Minnesota wildfire, the Flanders Fire in Crow Wing County, has burned more than 1,600 acres and was 20% contained on Sunday night, according to the Minnesota Incident Command System.
The Minnesota wildfires prompted Gov. Tim Walz to declare a state of emergency on Sunday morning, including mobilizing the state's National Guard to help battle the fires.
"Unpredictable and fast-moving wildfires are putting Minnesota communities at risk,” Walz said in a statement. “This emergency declaration ensures we can fully mobilize the resources needed to protect lives, support evacuations, and help communities respond and recover."
