Nebraska, Iowa on alert for severe storms Thursday as tornado-ravaged areas in path once again

OMAHA, Neb. – Two days after devastating storms ravaged Nebraska and Iowa, causing widespread damage and flooding, another series of severe storms is poised to hit the same areas on Thursday.

These storms have the potential for tornadoes and unusually large hail, posing significant risks to the threatened regions.

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Within the Great Plains corridor, the FOX Forecast Center said an area of enhanced wind likelihood is most likely to develop across the Central Plains during Wednesday evening. Some of these gusts should be significant, reaching 75-85 mph before they move through the previously tornado-impacted areas overnight.

The best chance of severe storms will be from Nebraska into the Dakotas as a developing area of low pressure moves out into the Plains. While moisture may be limited, significant heating will result in a few storms across the western areas by late Thursday afternoon.

POWERFUL IMAGES CAPTURE DEADLY DEVASTATION FROM TORNADO’S AFTERMATH IN GREENFIELD, IOWA

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has placed a swath of eastern Nebraska and northern Kansas in a Level 3 out of 5 severe weather risk Wednesday with a much wider area covering over 20 million people across much of the Plains in a Level 2 out of 5 risk.

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Elsewhere, severe storms will remain rather scattered across the southern Plains through the Mid-South but could become quite strong during the afternoon and evening hours, the FOX Forecast Center said.

Wichita, Kansas, Oklahoma City and Dallas are among the major cities that may encounter this significant weather event.

A Level 1 severe weather threat also extends across the mid-Atlantic into the Interstate 95 corridor across New England on Thursday, including the major cities of New York City, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia. 

Thunderstorms may bring large hail or damaging wind gusts here, but the tornado threat is minimal.