Severe storms continue to produce heavy rain, lightning and flooding across parts of the United States, with multiple rounds of thunderstorms affecting regions from the Midwest to the Northeast. According to the latest reports from the National Weather Service and the Storm Prediction Center, the ongoing weather pattern has brought repeated threats of tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding to over 130 million people spanning from Texas to New York.
The current outbreak, which began earlier in the week, has already produced confirmed tornadoes in several states, including Kansas, where a tornado injured two people and destroyed homes and businesses in Hillsdale shortly after 8 p.m. Local time on Monday, as reported by the Miami County Sheriff’s Office. Additional storm activity has been reported across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kansas, with damaging winds and hail impacting communities throughout the region.
On Tuesday, the risk of severe thunderstorms increased across a corridor from eastern Iowa into southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, which was placed under a Level 3 out of 5 risk by the Storm Prediction Center. Strong EF-2 tornadoes were considered possible across a wider area Tuesday afternoon, covering Chicago, Milwaukee and Des Moines, as well as parts of southern Michigan including Detroit. Meanwhile, the Southern Plains from central Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City, to portions of North Texas including Wichita Falls, remained under a tornado and large hail risk due to a dryline setting up between dry air from the west and warm, moist air from the Gulf.
A second round of severe thunderstorms developed from Texas to New York on Wednesday, with the flood threat mounting for parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes, which have experienced several consecutive days of heavy rain. Sporadic power outages, flight cancellations and delays at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport marked Wednesday’s disruptions, which included tornado watches from Illinois to Oklahoma. A few storms may redevelop Thursday, mainly around Syracuse and western New York, before a more significant outbreak arrives Friday across the Midwest and Great Plains.
According to Frank Pereira, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center, “The bigger event will be tomorrow,” referring to the anticipated severe weather on Friday. “They are going to get kicked around a little bit during that time period.” This assessment aligns with the Storm Prediction Center’s outlook, which indicates an elevated risk of severe thunderstorms across the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley heading into the weekend.
The Insurance Information Institute reported that in 2025, severe thunderstorms — which produce hail, damaging winds and tornadoes — caused $51 billion in insured losses, marking the third straight year such losses exceeded $50 billion. This figure represents more than any other category of natural disaster in the United States, underscoring the growing financial impact of recurrent severe weather events.
As of Thursday morning, portions of the Mid and Upper Mississippi Valleys were identified as having the greatest severe weather risk, with the threat expected to shift slightly further east and south by Friday. Residents in affected areas are advised to monitor local National Weather Service forecasts, have multiple ways to receive weather alerts and avoid driving through flooded roadways.
For real-time updates, the public can access the National Weather Service’s website at weather.gov or follow regional forecast offices on social media. The Storm Prediction Center provides updated convective outlooks at spc.noaa.gov, which include risk categories and timing for severe thunderstorm and tornado threats.
Stay informed, stay safe, and share this information with others who may be in the path of these ongoing storms.