April storms to bring severe weather to millions of Americans

A major storm system is heading east across the U.S., with various states under a severe weather alert Monday and Tuesday. The system is expected to bring high winds, thunderstorms, flooding, snow, hail and possible tornadoes, CNN reported. Over 50 million people will be impacted by these weather alerts.

Fox Weather meteorologist Kendall Smith said, “This area of low pressure is set to develop in Texas (on Monday), and then it’s going to track its way to the northeast.”

According to the National Weather Service, “The areas most at risk Monday extend from central and eastern Oklahoma into far southeast Kansas, central Missouri and southern Illinois. At least some risk of severe storms will extend from central Texas northeast into much of Illinois, Indiana and southwest Ohio.”

Per Fox Weather, the biggest tornado threat will stretch from Oklahoma to southern Indiana Monday night.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service said the severe weather risk “is expected to extend across portions of the Tennessee and Ohio Valley region into the mid-Atlantic states.”

In the northern reaches of the storm’s path, some snowfall may occur, though CNN reports that the majority of it will likely fall in the upper Midwest and interior Northeast.

How to stay safe in severe weather

The National Weather Service warned that “All forms of severe weather will be possible including very large (2+ inch) hail, tornadoes (including a few strong tornadoes), and damaging thunderstorm winds. The potential for tornadoes may continue into the overnight hours.”

According to Fox Weather, “Nighttime tornadoes are more than twice as likely to result in fatalities than those that happen during the day.”

Because of this, it’s important that residents living in areas under tornado alerts make sure they’re able to receive notifications in the event of a tornado. They should also keep an eye on the forecast in anticipation of any changes that may warrant taking extra precautions.