Storms blast Midwest; Southeast braces for hit
A line of strong storms and possible tornadoes that roared across parts of the Upper Midwest was barreling southeast Monday, promising hard times for a swath of the nation from Indiana and Kentucky to Virginia south to Georgia.
"We are not expecting a lot of tornadoes, but we could see plenty of damaging straight-line winds," said Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.
Parts of Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana were likely to see brutal storms late Monday. On Tuesday, an area from Virginia south to Alabama and Georgia will get blasted, Sosnowski said.
Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana were victimized early Monday with high winds, heavy rains and even hail. Roofs were damaged and trees and power lines came crashing down across much of the region.
Four tornadoes were reported in parts of Minnesota, KARE-TV in Minneapolis reported. The high winds and driving rain forced drivers on Interstate 94 to park on the freeway shoulder, the station said.
The Star Tribune in Minneapolis said the storms reached the Twin Cities area with wind gusts reaching 80 mph in some areas.
In Indiana, the White River in Indianapolis was near flood stage and most of Central Indiana remained under a flood watch, The Indianapolis Star reported. The National Weather Service predicted more rain Monday, adding to a weekend deluge that prompted minor flooding in many low-lying areas and drove dozens from their homes near the town of Mooresville.
In Wisconsin, a home weather station in Belleville clocked a 74-mph wind gust early Monday, and at least one roof was taken off a home, there, The Weather Channel reported. WE Energies reported more than 30,000 customers without power at one point.
There are reports of heavy flooding in Sheboygan County, Wis., as the storms push out over Lake Michigan.
A line of storms blasted through Illinois, bringing heavy winds and rain and hail. Winds gusted to 66 mph in Rockford, Ill. More storms were forecast for late Monday.
Contributing: Tim Evans, The Indianapolis Star