Florida and Gulf States Brace for More Hazardous Weather

The Gulf and Southeast are in for some intense weather today. Counties across Alabama and Texas have been lashed by storms this week and nearby Georgia has seen multiple tornado warnings, USA Today reported. This week’s storms have shut off power, and have dropped torrential rain across multiple states, and it’s looking like that region is in for another round this afternoon.

“A few storms throughout the central and eastern Gulf Coast may also be capable of containing damaging wind gusts, large hail, and a few tornadoes today,” an alert from the National Weather Service (NWS) said. “The active weather will not conclude tonight as another round of intense thunderstorms are possible on Friday, while extending farther Northwest into the Lower Mississippi Valley as well.”

A one-day outlook from the NWS highlighted that the risk of hail and thunderstorms will continue from this afternoon and into tonight for the South and Central Plains. “The greatest storm coverage could occur from southern Mississippi into southern Alabama and north Florida/far southern Georgia,” the alert said. “Hailstones greater than 2 inches in diameter and wind gusts above 80 mph will be possible along the more intense parts of a fast-moving line of storms.”

North Texas and Oklahoma are expected to see some of the more severe weather this afternoon and tonight. Multiple cities including Oklahoma City, Wichita Falls, and Lawton are all under moderate and enhanced risk of severe storms.

All of this comes after multiple counties across Southeast states were under thunderstorm warnings yesterday. This week’s weather has increased the risk of flash flooding for communities throughout the Southeast, according to the NWS. Columbus, Georgia also broke two rainfall records in one day yesterday. The first record was for max daily rainfall, and the second was for monthly rainfall.

The ongoing storms have also turned off the lights for thousands in the affected region. As of this morning, over 100,000 customers throughout multiple Southeastern states, according to Poweroutage.us. Over 16,000 customers are without power in Florida, especially around the state’s panhandle. More than 23,000 customers in Georgia are currently without power. Over in Alabama, more than 45,000 customers are without power, and over 14,000 customers are currently powerless in Mississippi. More than 13,000 customers in Texas are powerless this morning. More outages could be expected today.

Want more climate and environment stories? Check out Earther’s guides to decarbonizing your home, divesting from fossil fuels, packing a disaster go bag, and overcoming climate dread. And don’t miss our coverage of the latest IPCC climate report, the future of carbon dioxide removal, and the un-greenwashed facts on bioplastics and plastic recycling.

The Gulf and Southeast are in for some intense weather today. Counties across Alabama and Texas have been lashed by storms this week and nearby Georgia has seen multiple tornado warnings, USA Today reported. This week’s storms have shut off power, and have dropped torrential rain across multiple states, and it’s looking like that region is in for another round this afternoon.

“A few storms throughout the central and eastern Gulf Coast may also be capable of containing damaging wind gusts, large hail, and a few tornadoes today,” an alert from the National Weather Service (NWS) said. “The active weather will not conclude tonight as another round of intense thunderstorms are possible on Friday, while extending farther Northwest into the Lower Mississippi Valley as well.”

A one-day outlook from the NWS highlighted that the risk of hail and thunderstorms will continue from this afternoon and into tonight for the South and Central Plains. “The greatest storm coverage could occur from southern Mississippi into southern Alabama and north Florida/far southern Georgia,” the alert said. “Hailstones greater than 2 inches in diameter and wind gusts above 80 mph will be possible along the more intense parts of a fast-moving line of storms.”

North Texas and Oklahoma are expected to see some of the more severe weather this afternoon and tonight. Multiple cities including Oklahoma City, Wichita Falls, and Lawton are all under moderate and enhanced risk of severe storms.

All of this comes after multiple counties across Southeast states were under thunderstorm warnings yesterday. This week’s weather has increased the risk of flash flooding for communities throughout the Southeast, according to the NWS. Columbus, Georgia also broke two rainfall records in one day yesterday. The first record was for max daily rainfall, and the second was for monthly rainfall.

The ongoing storms have also turned off the lights for thousands in the affected region. As of this morning, over 100,000 customers throughout multiple Southeastern states, according to Poweroutage.us. Over 16,000 customers are without power in Florida, especially around the state’s panhandle. More than 23,000 customers in Georgia are currently without power. Over in Alabama, more than 45,000 customers are without power, and over 14,000 customers are currently powerless in Mississippi. More than 13,000 customers in Texas are powerless this morning. More outages could be expected today.

Want more climate and environment stories? Check out Earther’s guides to decarbonizing your home, divesting from fossil fuels, packing a disaster go bag, and overcoming climate dread. And don’t miss our coverage of the latest IPCC climate report, the future of carbon dioxide removal, and the un-greenwashed facts on bioplastics and plastic recycling.