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Severe Storms Pierce Texas, Southeast

May 23, 2017
UPDATED By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Chad Merrill
The Eastern Seaboard won’t shake out of its stormy pattern anytime soon.

A Tornado Watch extends from the South Carolina coast into southeastern Georgia, including Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga. Severe Thunderstorm Watches extend from southern Texas to eastern Texas, including Corpus Christi, Houston and Tyler.

Storms with a history of damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes have been rolling across the Southeast. One person was reportedly injured following a possible tornado that moved through Salemsburg, N.C. Meanwhile, gusty winds have knocked down tree branches and powerlines in places like Abilene, Texas, Oakfield, Ga., and Summerwinds, N.C.

Additional storms will continue to develop in southern Texas while the Carolina Coast will have to keep close tabs on the weather this evening. Fueling this latest round of storms is a strong cold front pushing towards the Gulf Coast. Warm, humid air ahead of the front is clashing with cooler, drier air in its wake to foster the storms.

The storms will push off the Carolina Coast later this evening before additional showers and much weaker storms approach later tonight. Meanwhile, the storms in Texas will push off the Gulf Coast by Midnight, leaving a drying trend for the rest of the night.

Besides the severe weather, storms and rain repeatedly moving across the same locations in the southern Appalachians and Carolinas will cause quick rises in creeks and streams, leading to flash flooding. Remember, never drive your car through a flooded roadway. The water is usually deeper than it appears. Flash Flood Watches continue from southern Georgia to far southern Virginia. Atlanta, Greenville and Columbia, S.C., and Charlotte, N.C.

The focus for dangerous weather will be the Southeast on Wednesday. The cold front will hurl east along the Gulf Coast. Warm, moist air will slam into colder, drier air to foster lines of storms capable of damaging winds and possible tornadoes. By late morning to early afternoon, the storms will form in eastern Alabama and along the Florida Panhandle before sliding east into northern Florida Wednesday evening.

The severe weather potential will increase from central Florida to southern Florida overnight Wednesday. Tallahassee, Fla., will have to watch out for afternoon severe weather while places like Jacksonville, Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., will see late afternoon/evening severe storms. Meanwhile, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers, Fla., will have to be on guard for severe weather from late evening into early Wednesday.

Be sure to understand the difference between a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch and a warning. A watch means that an area is being monitored for dangerous weather. A warning means that dangerous weather is imminent. When a warning is issued, there may be too little time to travel across town or across a county to escape the storm. The time to have a plan of action and move to the general vicinity of a storm shelter or safe area is when a watch is issued.

Keep in mind that lightning is one of Mother Nature's most dangerous killers. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning, even if the sun is shining.

Also download the WeatherBug smartphone application so you can check the latest watches and warnings. The app also includes Spark, which tells you where the nearest lightning is so you can quickly get to safety before a storm arrives.