Thursday, April 18, 2019

LIVE: Overnight storms rattle the Plains with wind, hail and flash flooding

By Amanda Schmidt, AccuWeather staff writer


About 115 million people are in the path of severe weather that will sweep through the United States into the weekend. The storms are overlapping many of the regions impacted by the severe weather outbreak this past weekend, some of which are still recovering from the storm system's disastrous effects.
The outbreak is hitting areas across the southern U.S. as well as parts of the Midwest and Northeast from late Wednesday through Saturday.
A number of weather features, including large hail, tornadoes, strong winds and severe thunderstorms have been rattling the region. This storm is expected to continue to disrupt travel and commerce and may even disrupt Easter holiday plans.
Heavy rainfall can flood rivers and roadways, while strong winds and potential large tornadoes may damage homes and other buildings if they strike populated areas. 
(Twitter photo/@TylerSorrells2)
Lightning illuminates an otherwise dark sky during the early morning hours of April 18, 2019, in Conway, Arkansas.
(Twitter photo/@michaeldean0116)
While it might appear that this image was taken during the day, Michael Dean Shelton captured it on April 18 at 3:46 a.m., local time, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
(Twitter photo/@BentonPoliceAR)
The Benton Police Department tweeted a view of the flooded intersection at Edison Ave. and Highway 35 on the morning of April 18. Police urge residents to avoid being out on the roads at all, if possible, and to avoid driving on flooded roads.
(Instagram photo/@vgo33me_atx)
A ball of lightning "exploded" and crackled in the sky over Cedar Park, Texas, early in the morning on April 18.
(Instagram photo/@stormguy8)
Brandon Munson captured this image of an overnight thunderstorm over Branson, Missouri, on April 18.
(Twitter photo/@TylerSorrells2)
Lightning illuminates an otherwise dark sky during the early morning hours of April 18, 2019, in Conway, Arkansas.
(Twitter photo/@LFMWx)
Accumulating hail accompanied by fog was seen on highway 273 south of McLean, Texas. Hail ranged mostly from as small as a pea to as big as a quarter.
(Twitter photo/@LFMWx)
Accumulating hail accompanied by fog was seen on highway 273 south of McLean, Texas.
(Twitter photo/@LFMWx)
Accumulating hail accompanied by fog was seen on highway 273 south of McLean, Texas.
(Twitter photo/@Reed Timmer)
AccuWeather Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer spotted a rotation north of Sunset, Texas.
(Photo/NOAA)
This NOAA satellite image shows the southern Plains on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at around 3:30 p.m. local time.
(Twitter photo/@SherriVancampen)
A Texas resident tries to protect their car from hail.
(Twitter photo@/SherriVancampen)
A Texas resident tries to protect their car from hail.
(Twitter photo/@SherriVancampen)
A Texas resident tries to protect their car from hail.
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The first of the powerful thunderstorms developed over the Texas Panhandle and central Iowa on Wednesday afternoon and became more widespread across northeastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas as Wednesday night wore on.
As the storm system moves east, the severe threat will move into the South on Thursday from Louisiana to western Georgia and northward to Kentucky, southern Indiana and southern Illinois. Along with the thunderstorm threat, there will be the risk of tornadoes, flash flooding, strong wind gusts and travel disruptions in the region.
Download the free AccuWeather app to stay alert to severe weather watches and warnings. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Scroll down to follow live reports of the severe weather.
7:05 a.m. CDT Thursday:
Flooding has started to affect parts of Arkansas, where some areas including Little Rock had been under flash flood warnings since early Thursday morning. A portion of Highway 100 in North Little Rock is currently closed in both directions due to high water, according to KATV ABC 7.
Sheriff's deputies in Pulaski County, where Little Rock is located, are urging drivers to take caution driving Thursday morning. Pulaski County warned drivers via Twitter that some roads are currently barricaded for their safety. 

The flooding has also prompted some school closures in Arkansas.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Little Rock reported on Twitter that as of 7 a.m., local time, the North Little Rock Airport has picked up 2.91 inches of rain thus far, which breaks the daily rainfall record of 1.22 inches, set in 1977.
6:40 a.m. CDT Thursday:
Several public and private school closures and early dismissals have been announced ahead of severe weather expected to impact Louisiana Thursday, including in Jefferson, St. Tammany and Washington Parishes.

4:40 a.m. CDT Thursday:
Thunderstorms now stretch from near Chicago to St. Louis, Little Rock, Shreveport, Houston and Corpus Christi. Despite frequent lightning, gusty winds and heavy downpours, most storms are no longer severe.
The morning commute across these areas will likely be slowed as travelers contend with flooded roadways, downed trees and powerlines, and power outages.
In Texas alone, over 110,000 customers are currently without power. Several thousand more are impacted across Missouri and Arkansas.
As the system moves eastward today, more severe weather is expected to develop. 
Thursday Severe X

1:50 a.m. CDT Thursday:
A line of powerful storms is currently sweeping through southern Missouri. While the threat for tornadoes has diminished, damaging winds and the threat of hail are still prevalent.
Golf ball-sized hail and snapped branches were left in the wake of these storms as they passed through Joplin. In the nearby town of Jasper, there were many reports of toppled power lines and over 1,000 power outages. 
Conway AR lightning
Lightning strike captured by Tyler Sorrells in Conway, Arkansas during the early morning hours of Apr. 18, 2019. via Twitter/TylerSorrells2

Farther south, wind gusts associated with these storms downed large trees across the Waco, Texas, area as well. As these storms traversed central Texas and moved through major population centers such as San Antonio, College Station and Dallas overnight, nearly 48,000 customers have been left without electricity.
10:58 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
The line of severe storms continues to sweep through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and into Missouri and Arkansas. Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, which is home to Oklahoma City, was walloped with quarter-sized hail around 10 p.m. local time.
Farther north in Pawnee County, thunderstorm wind gusts topped 60 mph. 
These threats will be prevalent through the night as storms continue to plow eastward.
9:15 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
Hail and 50-mph wind gusts are possible near Piedmont, Oklahoma.
There is also a report that a tornado touched ground near Shattuck, Oklahoma. 

8:00 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
Large hail has been spotted McLean, Texas, along with other areas across the south.
AccuWeather Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer reports an intense hail-producing supercell just east of Bowie, Texas. 

7:30 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
A landspout tornado was sighted near Wellington, Kansas.
There are also many Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in effect across Kansas, Texas and Iowa. 

6:30 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
There was a confirmed tornado near Higgins, Texas.
Storms continue to roll across Texas and parts of the southern U.S. 

5:30 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
A funnel cloud was reported by the Amarillo Airport tower in Amarillo, Texas. Those in the tornado warning area should seek shelter now. 

3:57 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
There is a report of a tornado near Glazier, Texas. The tornado tracked toward Coburn, Texas, where a tornado was also reported by a reliable spotter.
It is moving at 20 mph and has been described as a rope tornado.
3:05 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
There is accumulating hail accompanied by fog on Highway 273 south of McLean, Texas. Hail ranged mostly from as small as a pea to as large as a quarter.

2:43 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
Southwest Airlines will suspend operations at Dallas Love Field Airport between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time due to the severe weather forecast, canceling about 100 flights in and out, NBC DFW reports.
Severe weather will move into the Dallas-Fort Worth region late Wednesday afternoon into early night.
Dallas-Fort Worth residents are urged to prepare for the incoming threat of hail and severe weather.

1:45 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
Isolated showers and thunderstorms have reached west El Paso, Texas, according to NWS El Paso.
The storms will move eastward through the town over the next hour, bringing brief rainfall and the potential for pea-sized hail and gusty winds.
Light showers have also been reported in the Austin-San Antonio region in Texas.
A few showers have also developed across southeastern Oklahoma this afternoon, according to NWS Tulsa. These showers are well ahead of the severe thunderstorms that are expected to develop late afternoon and into the evening.

1:32 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
Severe thunderstorm watches and warnings are starting to be issued as the threat of the incoming storm grows.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the central and eastern portions of the panhandles in Texas, according to NWS Amarillo.
Another severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Oklahoma and Texas until 8 p.m. CDT.

1:19 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed in Dallas, Texas, ahead of severe weather. While Pence is not in the region for weather-related issues, his trip may be interrupted by weather.
Dallas airports report disruptions due to the incoming extreme weather.
Over 200 flights have been canceled and 80 have been delayed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, while over 100 flights have been canceled and 17 have been delayed at Dallas Love Field, according to FlightAware.com.
1:10 p.m. CDT Wednesday:
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for several northern Texas towns until 2:30 p.m. CDT, including Howardwick, Ashtola and Goodnight.
There is a potential for wind gusts up to 60 mph and half-dollar-sized hail, according to the NWS office in Amarillo, Texas.
11:30 a.m. CDT Wednesday:
Emergency management officials in Illinois are urging residents to be prepared for strong to severe storms on Wednesday.
“The first line of defense against any emergency or hazard is personal preparedness,” said Acting IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “Take this time now to prepare your family for severe weather. Personal preparedness lessens the impact on families, workplaces and our communities.”
11:19 a.m. CDT Wednesday:
A few schools and universities around Dallas, Texas, announced closures due to the incoming severe weather.
Some schools announced that all after-school activities are canceled on Wednesday, including Garland ISD and Church at the Crossing, NBC5 Dallas-Fort Worth reports.
Collin College, a community college located north and northeast of Dallas, announced that it will close and classes after 1 p.m., local time, will be canceled on Wednesday due to the severe weather threat.
10:51 a.m. CDT Wednesday:
Various car dealerships in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are preparing for the potential hail and severe weather.
The different dealerships have unique strategies for combating the extreme weather impacts.
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