The central U.S. suffered a series of violent storms this weekend, including deadly tornadoes. And, unfortunately, there’s no end in sight to the strange, severe weather. Severe thunderstorms and damaging winds are on the move and expected to batter the eastern part of the country throughout the week.
What to Know:
- Deadly tornadoes tore through Iowa on Saturday
- The severe weather continued through the weekend
- The severe weather is moving east this week
- Possible record-breaking temperatures are on the way
Severe Weather Turns Deadly for Iowans
The severe weather that hit Iowa this weekend was record-breaking in the worst possible way. The tornadoes that ripped through the Hawkeye State killed seven people. This makes it the deadliest series of storms in the state since 2008 when a single tornado caused the death of nine Iowans and destroyed hundreds of homes.
Remarkable video captured by Adam O’Neill of Winterset, Iowa. He & wife Jenn were hosting their son’s b-day party when this tornado went over their house, destroying every building on their farm. All OK, sheltered in the basement. @weatherchannel is coveraging the #Iowa tornado🌪 pic.twitter.com/ppF1mV5hHv
— Justin Michaels (@JMichaelsNews) March 6, 2022
Mike Lamb, the emergency management coordinator in Lucas County, Iowa, said that Iowans aren’t unprepared for tornadoes. However, the recent storms came with unusual violence. “It’s not an uncommon occurrence,” Lamb said. “But tornadoes of these magnitudes that cause damage are rare, or rarer.”
To make matters worse, the severe weather didn’t end with the tornadoes. Winter storms blew through Iowa overnight Sunday, leaving 5-6 inches of snow in their wake.
Unusual Weather to Continue Through the Week
After watching Iowa suffer through a series of deadly weather events, the eastern part of the country is now preparing for its own unusual weather fronts. More than 60 million people are in the path of severe thunderstorms and damaging winds this week. The threat zone includes major cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Nashville.
⛈ There is a slight risk of locally damaging wind gusts as showers and thunderstorms associated with a cold front continue to push off the coast this evening. Tuesday night, storms may become severe along the central Gulf Coast within the warm sector of a developing system. pic.twitter.com/Sh7R1euigv
— RadarOmega (@RadarOmega) March 7, 2022
The heavy rainfall from these thunderstorms could also cause flash flooding in many of the above-mentioned areas. An AccuWeather meteorologist, Hunter Greene, said the following about the approaching cold front. “A cold front will sweep across the eastern United States on Monday and produce gusty showers and thunderstorms as it stretches from the lower Mississippi River Valley through southern New England.”
In addition to the tornadoes, thunderstorms, flooding, and snowfall, a possibly record-breaking heatwave is on the way. States along the East Coast, all the way from New York to Florida, can expect unusually warm temperatures this week. A warm air mass will cause temperatures to reach 20-30 degrees above average for the Mid-Atlantic region of the country.
