Texas again in the crosshairs of dangerous storms: complete forecast for the weekend

The central United States faces more rounds of thunderstorms on Friday and weekend that may once again unleash damaging winds, hail and possible tornadoes across the storm-weary region, much of which is still recovering from weeks of severe weather that spawned deadly tornadoes and inflicted immense damage.

More than 25 million people from southern Texas and New Mexico to Kansas and Colorado were at risk from the storms, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. Hazardous conditions included strong wind gusts, hail more than 2 inches in diameter and, in West Texas, an isolated tornado. Cities in the storm’s sights include San Antonio, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Pueblo, Colorado.

“There is still a lot of uncertainty about where exactly the storms will start and have the greatest impact,” the weather service said.

Early Friday morning, forecasters issued flood and thunderstorm watches across central and eastern Texas as some rivers approached flood stage. The weather service placed parts of the Mississippi Valley under flash flood warnings citing forecast storms to develop in the area.

A 2.75-inch-wide piece of hail was reported in Matagorda County in southeast Texas along the Gulf Coast. In the same area, according to the meteorological service, wind speeds reached 120 kilometers per hour.

More than 230,000 homes and businesses across East Texas were without power, down from Wednesday’s peak of nearly 400,000 outages, according to a USA TODAY tracker. More than 28,000 outages were reported in western Louisiana and more than 11,000 utility customers were in the dark in Arkansas.

At Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, delays continued to pile up since earlier in the week. As of Friday afternoon, more than 100 flights had been canceled and more than 300 were delayed, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website.

Devastated communities, more than 30 dead from storms in recent weeks

This week, dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed across Texas by passing storms, one of which killed a 16-year-old construction worker when a building collapsed around him near Houston on Tuesday. The death is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to local media outlet KTRK.

Memorial Day weekend saw deadly weather across the southern Plains region, killing at least 22 people. At least eight people died in Arkansas, seven in Texas, five in Kentucky and two in Oklahoma amid tornadoes and storms that demolished hundreds of homes, authorities said.

In Texas, the misery came just two weeks after flash flooding and high winds hit the Houston area, killing at least eight people and leaving thousands without power for more days.

You’re not imagining it:This spring there have been many tornadoes. This is why.

Storms to hit Plains over the weekend; I breathe on the horizon

Over the weekend, the most powerful storms will move progressively northward and eventually bring severe conditions to the Upper Plains and parts of the Midwest.

Storms are forecast to develop in the central and southern High Plains on Saturday before organizing into clusters and spreading from eastern Texas to South Dakota. The storms pose risks of high winds, hail and “perhaps a couple of brief tornadoes,” particularly in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico and eastern Texas.

Texas again in the crosshairs of dangerous storms: complete forecast for the weekend

Meanwhile, another complex of storms could erupt over the central Gulf Coast, dumping excessive rain over much of Mississippi and Alabama.

On Sunday, clusters of storms are expected to focus over the Upper Plains, primarily affecting the Dakotas, Nebraska and much of Minnesota. Next week, severe weather is forecast to persist across the northern United States and the Midwest, bringing much-needed respite to Texas and the southern plains.

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