Severe Storms Bring Flooding and Destructive Winds to Midwest and Appalachians
A series of severe storms is impacting the Midwest and central Appalachians, bringing significant flash flooding and destructive winds. Heavy rainfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour are expected, with storm totals potentially exceeding 6 inches in some areas. Cities such as Charleston, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana are in the flood threat zone, with Charleston and Cincinnati under a Level 3 of 4 flood risk on Tuesday. Damaging winds, with gusts over 75 mph, are possible in a storm complex moving from eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin to Indiana and Ohio. A tornado struck Ransom, Illinois, late Sunday night, causing property damage and a train derailment. Nearly 175,000 power outages were reported across four states Monday night, primarily in Virginia.