Second Sunday of Tornadoes, Hail and Flooding Across U.S. South

(Bloomberg) -- For the second straight Sunday, tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods and hail are set to hammer the South with the worst sweeping across from Louisiana to Georgia, the same swath that bore the brunt of last week’s carnage.

In all, almost 12.3 million people from eastern Texas to North Carolina’s southern Atlantic shore are in harm’s way. The deadly storms could strike from Shreveport to Savannah, according to the U.S. Storm Prediction Center. While there’s less chance the storms will hit Houston, Atlanta or New Orleans, the possibility still exists.

On top of that, a flash flood threat will rise late in the day especially from Mississippi to Georgia where watches have been issued. The difference in this week’s storm is that the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will probably be spared.

“Folks should be weather aware today; there is a possibility of tornadoes and then possibility of flash flooding,” said Lara Pagano, a forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

A week ago, at least 30 people died when tornadoes, thunderstorm driven winds and hail crashed down across the South. The storms continued throughout Monday, moving up the East Coast, knocking out power to more than 1.3 million customers and leaving damage all the way to Maine.

Sunday’s wild weather will come from a different setup, so for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, there won’t be a repeat, Pagano said. There’ll be two waves, with as much as 3 inches of rain falling across the South early, and the main event arriving later with more rain and violent storms that could last overnight.

By Monday, a slight chance of severe thunderstorms and hail will linger along coastal North and South Carolina, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.