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3d ago

Multi-Day Severe Outbreak Slams Midwest with Derecho-Style Winds and New Rounds of Storms

Widespread wind damage and outages are driving local damage surveys while forecasters warn that tropical moisture could raise flood risk along the Gulf Coast next week.

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The National Hurricane Center’s seven-day tropical weather outlook highlights an area in the Gulf of Mexico’s Bay of Campeche where a broad area of low pressure could develop during the next seven days. The disturbance has a low chance of tropical development.
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Overview

  • A powerful line of storms produced derecho-like, near-hurricane-force winds that caused widespread structural damage and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of customers, with much of that destruction occurring Wednesday.
  • The Storm Prediction Center upgraded parts of northern Illinois, far eastern Iowa and southern Wisconsin to a Moderate risk on Thursday and issued expanded severe thunderstorm and tornado watches for the region.
  • Multiple rounds of storms on Thursday produced numerous tornado reports, intense wind gusts and large hail, prompting NWS mesoscale products such as Mesoscale Discussion 1081 and a spate of local warnings while damage surveys are beginning.
  • The Weather Prediction Center and local offices flagged an elevated flash-flood threat because very heavy rain is falling on already saturated ground, creating a high risk of urban and rapid runoff flooding in low-lying areas.
  • Forecasters say remnants of Tropical Storm Cristina plus moisture from the Gulf and Bay of Campeche are likely to be drawn north early next week, which could boost heavy rainfall and flood potential along the northwest Gulf Coast even though new Gulf cyclogenesis is not expected.