Thunderstorms, large hail, destructive wind gusts and strong tornadoes threaten up to 73 million people across the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on Sunday.
By evening, Michigan, Missouri and Mississipi each had preliminary tornado reports as a storm system slowly marched east, producing a line of thunderstorms, rain, strong winds and hail from Ohio to Texas.
Parts of Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee were subjected to tornado watches and warnings Sunday night. Many expired while others were issued as the low pressure front moved east-northeast, according to the National Weather Service.
The possibility of strong tornadoes and destructive wind gusts exceeding 65 mph are associated with the front as it pushes cold air into warm in a clash that roils the atmosphere and creates conditions ripe for tornadoes.
NBC affiliate WNDU of South Bend, Indiana, broadcast footage of apparent wind damage, including a flattened structure in Elkhart County, east of South Bend, and a large, uprooted tree in the Michiana region that includes southern Michigan.
In South Bend, Indiana, multiple vehicles and structures were damaged by high wind and downed trees and branches, police said. No injuries were reported.
"The damage is fairly widespread across our city," South Bend Police Department spokesperson Ashley O'Chap said via text. "It was truly an all-hands-on-deck type of afternoon here."
Underlying St. Joseph County had much of the same, along with downed power lines and "significant" power outages, said county police spokesperson Christine O’Connor.
More than 97,000 electricity customers in Indiana were in the dark Sunday night, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us. In Kentucky, that figure was nearly 12,000; Ohio, more than 14,000; in Michigan more than 376,000; and more than 60,000 in Wisconsin.
This storm system has affected parts of the Midwest and South through the weekend, producing more than 150 preliminary damaging wind and hail reports across the Plains on Saturday, including a 3-inch hail report in Amber, Oklahoma.
In Miami, fans attending the Ultra Music Festival endured flooded streets and a pause in programming due to thunderstorms, but kept on partying, according to NBC Miami.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center warned of enhanced risk of severe weather — possible tornadoes, very large hail, and heavy downpours of rain — for the valleys leading into the region where Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas meet. Detroit; Indianapolis; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Chicago; Dallas; and Cleveland are all in the risk area.
Video posted on X showed pea-sized hail falling in Liberty Hill, Texas, on Sunday morning.
Storms could linger past midnight for the Ohio and Tennessee valleys.
The severe weather, including the possibility of quarter-sized hail, tornadoes, and damaging winds,will target the East and Southeast on Monday, impacting 69 million from Louisiana to New York. Charlotte, North Carolina; Raleigh, North Carolina; Atlanta; Philadelphia; Washington; and New Orleans are included in this risk for damaging winds and tornadoes.
The line of severe weather will gradually push offshore by Monday night, though widespread damaging winds and a few tornadoes may be possible through the afternoon and evening before that.
On the north side of this strong storm system, wintry precipitation continues to plague parts of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and New England. Winter alerts remain in effect for 9 million people, including in Green Bay, Wisconsin; Marquette, Michigan; Burlington, Vermont; and Portland, Maine.
Snow totals as of Sunday morning included 10 inches in Fletcher, Vermont, and Morrisonville, New York.
Heavy snow and ice will continue to affect parts of eastern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan through Sunday night, with gradual clearing by Monday morning. North Trowbridge Park, Michigan, recorded nearly 14 inches of snow in a 24-hour stretch by Sunday evening, according to National Weather Service data.
Continued power outages and additional tree damage are likely in this region.
Freezing rain and snow will continue to impact parts of New England before transitioning to rain overnight and into Monday.
In the West, 5 million people from the coast to the Rocky Mountains are under alerts through Monday, with 25 to 60 mph wind gusts expected to fuel fire concerns from Colorado to Texas.
Two million people are under alerts Sunday, including in El Paso, Texas, with high fire danger lingering into the start of the workweek.
