As parts of the central U.S. recover from a deadly outbreak of severe weather, a line of storms is forecast to unleash large hail, heavy rain and tornadoes across the South.
Potent thunderstorms on April 22 will extend from northeastern Kansas to Texas and New Mexico, according to AccuWeather. The most powerful storms could unleash hail the size of baseballs, heavy rain and “a couple of tornadoes.”
“Property damage can be significant in the strongest storms,” AccuWeather warned.
Through the end of the week, the same southern states will be at risk of severe thunderstorms, large hail and tornadoes as a line of showers barrels across the region. On April 25, the heavy rain could extend into the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, AccuWeather said.
The storms are brewing as central U.S. states, especially Oklahoma, are recovering from a major weekend storm system that spun up tornadoes, damaged homes and killed at least three people, including a 21-year-old boy.
Flood advisories were still active on April 22 from Missouri to Louisiana and Mississippi as floodwaters pour into rivers and head downstream.
Fire breaks out in Pennsylvania, consumes hundreds of acres
Firefighters in eastern Pennsylvania worked to control a blaze that erupted over the weekend and exploded in size, stretching across dry mountainous terrain and coming dangerously close to homes.
The Packerton Fire, which is also known as the Jim Thorpe Fire or Bear Mountain Fire, set 426 acres ablaze and is 15% contained, according to USA TODAY’s wildfire data. The fire is burning near Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, in Carbon County, which is around 82 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The cause of the wildfire is unknown.
High winds quickly expanded the fire after it erupted. As of April 22, the winds have slowed but the brush remains dry and continues to fuel the raging wildfire, officials said. Much of southeast Pennsylvania remains at “high” fire danger, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Oklahoma battered by ‘historical weather event’
A sprawling storm system unleashed multiple tornadoes and triggered major flooding across Oklahoma as it swept across the state over the weekend.
A tornado in Spaulding, a town about 80 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, destroyed two homes, killed one person and injured two others, according to the Hughes County Emergency Management agency.
In Moore, about 11 miles south of Oklahoma City, police found the bodies of a 44-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son in a vehicle stranded in floodwaters. The Moore Police Department identified the deceased as Erika Lott and Rivers Bond.
“This was a historical weather event that impacted roads and resulted in dozens of high-water incidents across the city,” The Moore Police Department said in a statement.
Contributing: Julia Gomez
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baseball-sized hail, tornadoes at risk in powerful storm’s forecast