Severe thunderstorms were forecasted to bring hail, strong winds, and the risk of tornadoes to parts of the Midwest and South still reeling from a weekend of deadly weather. Residents were advised to prepare for shelter by Tuesday night.
At least two tornadoes were confirmed in Illinois on Tuesday as storms moved through the state, eastern Iowa, and southwestern Wisconsin. Southern Missouri, Arkansas, southwestern Oklahoma, and northeastern Texas were also at high risk overnight.
Meteorologist Tom Philip from Davenport, Iowa, suggested that people should consider staying in their basements for safety. The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings in Iowa and Illinois, confirming a tornado southwest of Chicago near Bryant, Illinois, and another in Colona, Illinois, which caused wind damage to businesses.
Residents Urged to Prepare for Potential Tornadoes and Severe Weather as Recovery Continues from Recent StormsThese storms were poised to impact areas recently hit by severe weather and tornadoes, which had already claimed at least 32 lives in Arkansas, Iowa, and Illinois. Kimberly Shaw, who was injured by a shattered glass door during a tornado in Little Rock, Arkansas, last Friday, plans to be more cautious this time and will seek shelter immediately upon a warning.
Earlier in the day, thunderstorms hit the Quad Cities area with winds up to 90 mph and baseball-sized hail, causing damage but no reported injuries. Northern Illinois experienced winds of 75-80 mph and hail up to 3 inches in diameter, with reports of semi-trucks overturned in Lee County.
The Storm Prediction Center warned that severe storms could produce strong tornadoes and large hail in eastern Illinois, lower Michigan, the Ohio Valley, and parts of Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
A blizzard warning was issued for North and South Dakota, and a winter storm warning was in effect for northern Minnesota.
Fire danger remained high across parts of Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and southeastern Colorado, with evacuations advised near Weatherford, Oklahoma, due to a wildfire.