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Heat Wave Expands to the East Coast; Flash Flooding Likely in the Central Plains into the Midwest; Severe Thunderstorms in the Northeast

Dangerous, prolonged heat is ongoing in the Mid-South to Mid-Mississippi Valley and heat expands into the Northeast for a brief period today. Widely scattered instances of flash flooding due to heavy rains are forecast from northeast Kansas to much of Indiana. Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of New England, northern Mid-Atlantic, and North Dakota. Read More >

Overview

Several clusters and lines of severe thunderstorms in addition to two EF-1 tornadoes swept through the region on the evening of Thursday, March 14, 2024. The thunderstorms developed in an unseasonably warm and humid environment. High temperatures soared into the middle and upper 70s with dew point temperatures climbing into the lower to middle 60s. The thunderstorms developed as a cold front approached the region from the west.

Widespread storm damage occurred along the Interstate 64 corridor across southern Illinois into southwest Indiana. The Southern Illinois communities of Mount Vernon and West Salem were particularly hard hit. On the northside of Mount Vernon, an EF-1 tornado inflicted significant roof and exterior wall damage to a bus depot and office  A brick building on the downtown square in West Salem collapsed as it was buffeted by severe winds. Another EF-1 tornado struck a few miles northeast of Fairfield in rural Wayne County, severely damaging a mobile home and causing significant tree damage. Severe thunderstorm winds also caused tree, powerline, and barn damage in Ballard and McCracken Counties in western Kentucky.

As the storm moved through southeast Missouri, the Cape Girardeau Airport measured a 66 mph wind gust. A trained spotter also measured wind gusts of 60-75 mph near Hopkinsville, KY, as the severe storms moved eastward through the Kentucky Pennyrile. 

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