Extreme Weather Continues to Cause Havoc in America

Heatwaves, flash floods, tornadoes… and there doesn’t seem to be a break in sight as weather services warn of more “major” heat risks approaching this weekend. 

Extreme Weather Events

From west to east, large parts of the US are still battling an influx of extreme weather conditions ranging from flash floods to heatwaves.

Storm Tracking

The National Weather Service’s forecasters warned about strong thunderstorms predicted to hit the mid-Atlantic area during the latter half of this week. The storms have been tracked as they moved east from the Ohio and Tennessee River valleys. 

Damaging Downpours?

According to the Storm Prediction Center, big cities like New York City, Philadelphia, and Newark, New Jersey, will experience scattered showers and bouts of heavy rain on Thursday and Friday. 

Worrisome Winds

These warnings were issued only a day after dangerous weather hit parts of the Northeast on Tuesday – and two days after a derecho (an enduring and damaging thunderstorm that extends over 240 miles and includes wind gusts of no less than 58 miles per hour along its length) slammed into the Midwest on Monday.

Various tornadoes touched down in the Chicago area because of the derecho, leaving at least one person dead in Indiana. 

Washington, Watch Out

Making matters worse, heavy downpours could also result in major issues, particularly in the Washington DC and Baltimore regions, where a flood watch has already been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) 

Some Cooling Off

Rain rates falling between 2 – 4 inches per hour might also occur across northern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. 

This downpour, especially across the mid-Atlantic, could offer some cool relief to millions. This is due to lower temperatures being predicted days after the extreme heat increased temperatures in Washington DC to 100 F, while both New York and Philadelphia’s mercury readings were pushed to the mid- to upper 90s. 

Literally Powerless

Meanwhile, across Upstate New York and parts of Pennsylvania and Maryland, almost 70,000 homes and businesses experienced power outages, as per a report by USA Today.

In central Illinois and throughout Indiana, counties reported about 33,000 more outages. 

Concerned NY Mayor

This follows after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Tuesday due to the intense storms causing chaos and widespread destruction, including wrecking buildings and uprooting trees.  

Claiming More Lives

In Canastota, a village located about 25 miles east of Syracuse, one person has died due to the storms.

As per an emergency declaration, “numerous trees and wires” were damaged across the village while various roads were blocked due to some areas being evacuated. 

Rome Damaged in a Day

Residents in Rome, Georgia, were hit by a tornado with peak winds of 135 mph. 

Referring to the torn-off roofs and broken trees, Mayor Jeffrey Lanigan said in a news conference that the city “looks like a war zone.”  

Watch the Water

With a minimum of 11 tornadoes twisting around the Midwest and floods blocking various roads, a dam in Nashville, Illinois was pushed to “imminent failure”. Approximately 200 people had to be evacuated.

Maintenance Expected

Although the immediate safety concern passed once the rain ceased, the Army Corps of Engineers said that the dam would need to undergo repairs. 

Getting Out of Arkansas

On Wednesday, Arkansas received its share of the extreme weather, as parts of the state were flooded with almost a foot of rain in only a few hours. 

This pushed the river levels above their flood table, resulting in flash floods. Officials had to issue evacuation orders while also sending rescue operations to certain areas. 

Flooded Counties

Flood impacts were reported in at least eight counties across Arkansas. 

In Yellville, a city in the state’s north region, the Creekside Health and Rehabilitation Senior Facility stated that over 80 people had to flee due to flooding. Rescue operations managed to transport them to a county community center, as per the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.

Now For Some Heat

Meanwhile, record-breaking heat continues to sizzle up wide areas of the country as heatwaves creep further toward the East Coast. 

Millions Are Sweating

According to the National Integrated Heat Health Information System, about 29% of the country (approximately 100 million Americans) were under heat alerts on Wednesday.

The next day, the Pacific Northwest saw heat warnings and advisories active across the whole region. 

Setting New Records

Over in Pendleton, a city in north-central Oregon, highs have been predicted to come very close to 103 F during the weekend. 

AccuWeather said that Spokane, Washington’s nearly 120-year-old temperature record of 103 F, set in 1905, could also be broken.

More Weather Warnings

Idaho- and Montana cities were also projected to get scorched with daily high-temperature readings. 

The weather service issued a warning by saying: “The multi-day nature of this event will create dangerous conditions, particularly for people who are especially vulnerable to the effects of heat, such as young children, older adults, people with chronic medical conditions, and pregnant women.” 

Breaking Records and Taking Lives

New heat records were set in over 50 cities scattered across California and Nevada during the first five days of July, according to AccuWeather. 

It’s also been said that the heat is responsible for at least 30 deaths in the West this month. 

Not Over Yet

Although harsh temperatures are still a major risk, Thursday saw the heat alerts drop from over 106 million to 38 million. According to heat.gov, that is the lowest number since June 27th. 

The weather service has warned that the heat will return and that the West could see “major” to “extreme” heat risks this weekend. 

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