As the Fourth of July approaches, millions of Americans face severe weather warnings in the South, Midwest, and East Coast of the country. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), since last Thursday, 700 incidents of severe winds have been reported in the U.S., culminating in destroyed utility poles, dangerous thunderstorms, and the risk of tornadoes. The Fourth of July celebrations have been put in danger as the severe weather continues.The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has stated that from the eastern Rocky Mountains, through the Ohio River Valley and into the Mid-Atlantic region there is an elevated risk (level 3 out of 5) of damaging winds, hail, and even one to two tornadoes.
Louisville, Lexington and Nashville are among the cities expected to be impacted, and lightning and rain have already been seen in the Ohio River Valley and Northeast sections of the US. 235 reports of severe weather were made this Saturday concentrated along the mid-Mississippi and Tennessee River Valleys with wind damage being the major cause of the outages in the area. The SPC has stated that “damaging wind gusts appear to be the most likely hazard, although hail will also be possible with any sustained supercell. One or two tornadoes could also occur.”
Chicago’s water crisis is a more tangible example of the dangers of this extreme weather – with new rainfall from storms, downtown Chicago’s streets were flooded for hours, leading to the displacement of cars and the suspension of the NASCAR race planned for the city. Flooding caused multiple road closures, leaving ten vehicles trapped, and disrupted the city’s rail services. In recent hours, they seem to have returned to normal functioning.
The storm has caused several power outages so far and poweroutage.us now states that at least 260,000 people in several states across the midwest and southeast have had their power disrupted due to the weekend’s storms. The SPC anticipates that advisories and warnings will be issued for impacted areas later on Sunday.
The public needs to be aware of the significance of these storms and confirm that all family members know what to do in case of an emergency. To be prepared, families should have several days worth of food and supplies, have an evacuation and emergency plan, and have a source of outside power and communication during thunderstorms and other extreme weather events.
The heatwave experienced in parts of the Southeast and the West Coast are another issue entirely. Arizona and California are experiencing extreme temperatures, with some reaching over 40 degrees Celsius. Local authorities have issued warnings of the risks associated with temperatures this high, including heat stroke, dehydration, and even the danger of leaving children or pets inside closed cars.