Strong storms started rolling across the U.S. Tuesday night with torrential rain, hail and fierce winds that flooded streets, caused hazardous road conditions and left over 200,000 without power.
On Wednesday morning, 13 million people were under flood watches from eastern Texas to northern Florida and a ribbon of flash flood warnings extends from southeast Texas, across central Louisiana and into western Mississippi.
As of 10 a.m., over 239,000 customers are without power across the U.S., with over 139,000 out in Louisiana, nearly 60,000 out in Texas, 33,000 in Mississippi and 4,500 out in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us.
Heavy rain may produce 2 to 3 inches of rainfall an hour at times Wednesday morning across the South and Gulf Coast. Rivers forecast to go into major flood stage include Village Creek near Kountze, Texas, and the Sabine River at Logansport, Louisiana.
Cities that could experience the highest risk of flash flooding Wednesday include Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida.
Six million people are also under tornado watches Wednesday morning, including the metro areas of Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans as a severe line of thunderstorms is charging across the I-10 corridor of Louisiana.
There were more than 90 storm reports Tuesday, including reports of hail as large as 4.25 inches in diameter across Texas.
Thirteen million people will see severe storms Wednesday across Louisiana, most of Mississippi, Alabama and western Florida Panhandle.
The greatest risk is damaging straight-line wind gusts of over 75 mph followed by numerous tornadoes that could be strong.
Louisiana’s Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness warned locals to keep devices charged, and stay off the roads due to severe thunderstorm warnings with destructive 80 mph through 8:45 a.m. CDT.
In Tuesday’s deluge, there were multiple reports of over 6 inches of rainfall, some isolated reports of up to 15 inches, and flood reports are starting to come in early Wednesday from rivers rising across eastern Texas.
Jasper, Texas, marked 7.58 inches of rainfall, 7.38 inches were clocked in Marshall, Texas, 7.22 inches at Big Sunflower River in Holly Bluff, Mississippi, and 6.24 inches in Monroe, Louisiana. In Kirbyville, Texas, the Pin Oak Creek rose 10 feet in less than six hours.
The Roganville Volunteer Fire Department shared footage of the streets turned into rivers and submerged cars in Kirbyville early Wednesday, warning: “it’s not a good day to be on the road. Please stay at home if you don’t have to be out.”
Severe risk continues Thursday for the Ohio Valley, the Southeast and northern Florida. Thursday’s risks are lower than Wednesdays but all hazards will be possible for cities including Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Tampa, Florida, for the southern risk area and Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, across the northern risk area.