Areas in the Midwest and South-east that were recently hit by deadly storms and flooding are still trying to get back on their feet. However, as people try to dig through the wreckage, they will be at risk of more severe weather on Thursday.
The FOX Forecast Centre said that on Thursday, groups of thunderstorms will likely form in the mid- and deep-South, as well as the Tennessee Valley. All of these areas were severely affected by the extreme weather.
Though there is a chance of strong storms happening again, it’s not as likely as it was before the spate of bad weather.
Thursday, storms could hit more than 34 million people. On its 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale, NOAA’s Storm Prediction Centre (SPC) put about 14 million people in a Level 2 risk.
Cities like Memphis and Chattanooga in Tennessee, Birmingham and Huntsville in Alabama, and Atlanta are all in this group.
The FOX Forecast Centre said that a cold front coming south from the Midwest and the direction of the jet stream over the U.S. will be the main things that cause the storm to form.
The storms that form on Thursday will mostly cause damage with strong winds and big hail, but a few tornadoes are not out of the question.
If you get the free FOX weather app and turn on notifications, you’ll get important alerts when they happen in your area.
President Donald Trump declared emergency disasters in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky. This lets the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) help towns that are still trying to deal with the effects of the huge disaster.
The National Guard, the Kentucky State Police, and other state and local leaders have been working hard to keep people safe in Kentucky. They have told people not to drive if they can until the water goes down completely.
This week, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told reporters that the biggest worry was about people who were still trying to drive on state highways and roads. He talked about a story in the local news about someone who had to be saved after driving around a barricade.
“If you do that, you put your life in danger and the lives of everyone who was going to help you in danger as well.” People need to stick around for now.
Communities in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys have been hit by record flooding that has forced people to leave their homes in Tennessee.
This week, Dyer County Mayor David Quick told the people of Cocklebur and the nearby towns in Bogota that they had to leave because of the severe flooding in the area.
Officials in Tennessee say that damage estimates are still going on in the state, and in 10 counties, Joint Preliminary Damage estimates have been finished.
“The results of these assessments help determine whether the damage meets the requirements, as defined by law, for a federal major disaster declaration to be requested,” officials said in a report. “A declaration is typically based on the severity and magnitude of the event, and whether the affected areas are unable to recover without external support.”
Before the cleanup starts, people are being asked to take pictures of any damage to their homes or property and write down any losses.