80 million in U.S. brace for storms, heatwave on Memorial Day

During the long weekend for Memorial Day in the United States, nearly 80 million people will be in the risk zone, exposed to storms that may bring tornadoes, hail, and destructive wind gusts. In the southern part of the country, residents must prepare for extreme heat, which may reach up to 46 degrees Celsius.

Meteorologists predict that storms will cause significant damage in many large cities by Monday. On Saturday, powerful storms threatened 18 million people living in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. These storms were strong enough to cause tornadoes, large hail, and destructive wind gusts.

On Sunday, the storms will move further east, covering the Midwest and the Ohio Valley. According to forecasts, these storms will affect 42 million people, including residents of cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. In the Midwest, strong, gusty winds are likely, with the possibility of tornadoes and hail.

On Monday, the storms will reach the East Coast, and in the Mid-Atlantic region, including cities like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, and Raleigh in North Carolina, 27 million people will be exposed to powerful storms. The main threat will be strong winds, but the storms may also bring hail or tornadoes.

Especially in the Central Mississippi Valley, there is a risk of flooding. For this reason, 3 million people, including residents of Memphis, Tennessee, and Tupelo, Mississippi, are under alerts.

At the same time, the southern part of the country must prepare for extreme heat. This heat will occur in the southern plains and the Gulf Coast. Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees above average, reaching up to 46 degrees Celsius in areas inhabited by 7 million people, including Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville.

On Sunday, even higher heat is predicted, and over 20 temperature records will likely be broken in Corpus Christi, Miami, and Orlando in Florida, Baton Rouge in Louisiana, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

In Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico, 4 million people are under alerts due to critical fire weather conditions.

As confirmed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), since the beginning of 2023, tornadoes in the United States have killed at least 63 people. On Tuesday in Greenfield, Iowa, five people died, and at least 35 were injured.