SerpApi.Org
Dangerous thunderstorms will threaten more than 100 million people across over half a million square miles of the eastern United States from Tuesday into Wednesday.
A high risk of severe thunderstorms is predicted across portions of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, including the metro areas of Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia, as well as a large part of the New York City metro area. An AccuWeather high-risk designation means widespread severe thunderstorms are expected in this outbreak.
"Most of the severe storms will occur between 4 and 9 p.m. Tuesday," AccuWeather On-Air Forecaster Anna Azallion said. However, a few storms could become severe early in the afternoon, and some potent thunderstorms may linger well after dark.
The strongest storms Tuesday could produce wind gusts up to the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 85 mph.
As storms develop and move through major metro areas, flight delays and ground stops are expected to increase.
AccuWeather has outlined a broad moderate risk area for severe weather stretching from Kentucky to upstate and coastal New York and southeastern Maryland, where numerous damaging thunderstorms are forecast.
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In addition to strong winds that could cause scattered power outages, a few tornadoes are possible. Hail may also become large enough to damage crops, gardens and landscaping.
While severe weather will pose the greatest threat Tuesday, torrential downpours and frequent lightning will affect a broader area from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic. The flooding threat will then shift into parts of the Southeast from Wednesday through Friday.
Rain may fall fast enough to overwhelm storm drains and trigger street flooding. In suburban and rural areas, rapidly rising water can quickly cause flash flooding along small streams. Rainfall rates of 2 inches per hour or more are possible in the most intense storms.
Motorists should never drive through flooded roads. Water is often deeper than it appears, road surfaces may be washed away, and conditions can worsen rapidly. Just 1-2 feet of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. Floodwater can also disable a vehicle's electrical system, trapping occupants inside.
"Remember the saying, 'turn around, don't drown,'" Azallion said.
Lightning can strike well ahead of an approaching thunderstorm. Move indoors as soon as thunder is heard or lightning is seen. Trees, canopies, picnic pavilions, and golf carts do not offer adequate protection from a lightning strike.
By Wednesday, the severe weather threat will shift southward, focusing from southern Delaware and southeastern Maryland into central and southeastern Virginia and central and eastern North Carolina.
The primary severe weather threat Wednesday will be damaging wind gusts, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 75 mph.
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