The South braces for more severe weather in the wake of destructive tornadoes
Residents of the Deep South are bracing for another night of severe weather, a day after two tornadoes tore through north Texas, destroying homes and injuring multiple people, officials said.
For the seventh consecutive day, the severe weather outbreak continues on Wednesday across the South from Texas to Alabama.
Severe thunderstorm watches are in effect for parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The main threats are expected to include mostly damaging winds and large hail, but tornadoes can't be ruled out.
At least seven tornadoes were confirmed on Tuesday in three states on Tuesday -- Texas, Kentucky and Arkansas.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that a tornado packing winds up to 145 mph and rated an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, touched down in Mineral Wells, Texas, on Tuesday, injuring five people and destroying homes and other structures, officials said.
The NWS also confirmed that an EF-1 tornado hit Rio Vista, south of Fort Worth, on Tuesday night.
In Kentucky, the NWS confirmed an EF-0 tornado struck Harden County on Tuesday night, and another twister was observed and photographed near Brinkley, Arkansas.
Looking ahead, the most active weather through the rest of the week and into the weekend is expected to include much-needed rain heading to the Southern states, from Texas to the Carolinas. Some areas, suffering under extreme to exceptional drought conditions, could get 2 to 5 inches of rain through the weekend.
Temperatures across the South and the East over the next several mornings are expected to be on the chilly side heading into the weekend. Overnight lows are forecast to be in the 40s and 50s even across parts of the Deep South and Gulf Coast. The temperatures will be about 15 to 25 degrees below average for this time of year.
Meanwhile, a cold front along the East Coast from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast could produce heavy downpours on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning from Philadelphia to New York City, and up through New England.
Scattered thunderstorms and gusty winds are also possible from the Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic region.
