Millions brace for storm threatening historic flooding across central US
Millions of people across the central U.S. on Tuesday braced for a dangerous bout of severe weather this week following a deadly cross-country storm that left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power in the Midwest.
A major spring storm is expected to blast the middle of the country with hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, and potentially historic flooding beginning Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service. By Wednesday, an area encompassing 70 million people from Texas to Illinois and Ohio will be in the storm's crosshairs.
Meanwhile, a late-season winter storm on Tuesday unloaded heavy snow and gusty winds across the northern Plains, prompting advisories in the Dakotas and Minnesota. In the Midwest, where a weekend storm spun up tornadoes, some 170,000 homes and businesses were without power as of Tuesday evening, with most of the outages being reported in Michigan, according to PowerOutage.us.
The incoming spring storm is expected to peak Wednesday as it moves east into the Mississippi Valley and kicks off what could be a "significant, life-threatening flash flood event," according to the weather service.
"Should the amount of rain occur that we anticipate over the middle of the nation, it would exceed the 500 to 1,000-year average," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist William Clark in an online forecast. "Truly, the potential is there for a historic flash flooding event."
High winds raise wildfire danger
The spring storm is kicking up high winds throughout the Southwest and parts of the lower Plains, raising the risk of wildfires across the drought-stricken regions.
Red flag warnings were active Tuesday from western Texas and Arizona to eastern Colorado and Texas, according to the National Weather Service. High wind advisories stretched across other states, including New Mexico, Iowa, and Nebraska.
The urgent warnings advised residents to avoid burning anything outdoors, as a combination of high winds, low humidity, and an abundance of dry fuels could lead to explosive wildfire growth. Much of the Southwest is bone-dry, with some areas, including western Texas, suffering "exceptional drought conditions," according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Meanwhile, firefighters in California continued to battle a blaze that broke out near Bishop, a city located between Yosemite National Park and Death Valley National Park in Inyo County. The blaze erupted Sunday and triggered rounds of evacuations and road closures. As of Tuesday evening, the fire burned over 1,600 acres and was 60% contained.
Winter storm warnings abound
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings on Tuesday across the high Plains and Midwest as well as parts of the western U.S.
The advisories were active in Montana, the Dakotas, and Minnesota, where 5 to 12 inches of snow was expected and winds could reach up to 40 mph, making travel difficult on mountain passes.
"Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility," said the weather service office in Bismarck, North Dakota. "The hazardous conditions could impact the morning and evening commutes today and Wednesday."
Meanwhile, in the West, several inches of snow were forecast to blanket the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.
'Falling ice' causes Michigan officials to temporarily close major bridge
In Michigan, officials on Tuesday temporarily closed the Mackinac Bridge to all traffic citing hazardous ice falling from its cables and towers.
"There is no expected schedule for reopening," said the Mackinac Bridge Authority in an announcement at 9 a.m. "When conditions improve, the bridge will be reopened to traffic."
The bridge, which connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, was also closed for several hours Monday because of falling ice. Thousands of drivers travel on the bridge each day, according to the bridge authority.
Authorities reopened the bridge to traffic Tuesday evening
– Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press
Apparent tornado collapses school roof, injuring students
In southeastern Alabama, five students were injured Monday by the partial collapse of a school roof that fell as an apparent tornado formed nearby.
The incident occurred at Dothan Preparatory Academy in the city of Dothan, near the Florida and Georgia state lines. Five students suffered "minor injuries" and two of them were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to the local police department.
Across the downtown Dothan area, widespread damage could be seen with downed trees and debris blocking streets.
– Marty Roney, Montgomery Advertiser