Unsettled Wednesday, then cooler before heating up next week

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

A severe summer storm that swept across the eastern U.S. on Monday took the lives of two people, left millions without power and caused flights in nine major airports to grind to a halt. 

Photos and video from nearly a third of the country show toppled trees, felled power lines and damaged buildings as a torrential mix of strong winds, heavy rain — and, in some places, hail, lighting and flooding — barreled from Alabama to New York. 

 was in effect for more than 29.5 million people, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). 

Local officials reported two deaths related to severe weather

In Anderson, S.C., a 15-year-old boy was struck and killed by a falling tree, the local coroner’s office confirmed to NPR. 

, said a 28-year-old man was also killed Monday after being struck by lightning in a parking lot.

By early evening, more than 1.1 million homes and businesses were without power across a chunk of the country stretching from Alabama to Pennsylvania, according to multiple news outlets, 

As of Tuesday morning, that number had dropped to just over 333,000, with Pennsylvania and North Carolina seeing the greatest impact. 

In Westminster, Md., a row of power lines

 toppled onto a major thoroughfare, trapping 47 people, including 14 children, for up to 5 1/2 hours. 

 in the 34 impacted vehicles had been injured. 

Tornadoes left trails of damage in Indiana and New York

 were made by weather spotters in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, according to the NWS. Forecasters in 

 warned residents that winds could gust up to 70 mph throughout the respective cities — a condition that left a high risk of life-threatening currents, including rip tides, 

Trained spotters in Maryland and Virginia registered 

, which may be the largest reported in the region since 2002, 

, were asked to depart their offices early to avoid driving during a tornado watch for the region — just a day after a severe thunderstorm watch disrupted travel and sparked chaos amid 

a crowd of thousands at a Beyoncé concert. 

The district didn’t report any tornado sightings in the end, but a tornado did touch down briefly in Indiana's Dubois and Orange counties on Monday, according to the local NWS office. 

 showed roofless buildings and bent traffic signs, victims of hurricane-force winds. 

local media Monday evening in McGraw, N.Y.

, but the extent of the damage was not immediately clear on Tuesday morning. 

An apartment complex and gas station in Knoxville, Tenn., also lost their roofs, according to 

photos and reports from the Knoxville News Sentinel

, but the culprit appeared to be strong wind. 

Tuesday’s forecast could bring heavy rain to the New England region

Nine major airports, including those near Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and New York, came under a ground stop on Monday, according to 

By the evening, more than 2,600 domestic flights were canceled and over 7,900 had been delayed, according to a report from 

, which cited the flight-tracking service 

The same site showed more than 330 domestic cancellations and 1,500 delays as of Tuesday morning. 

 promises some relief for the regions hit by Monday’s storms, but a lingering bit of heavy rain could hit upstate New York and northern New England, the NWS said. Flood watches for the region were in effect as of Tuesday morning, stretching into the evening. 

Meanwhile, parts of the Southeast and the Great Plains face a slight risk of severe thunderstorms, at most an “enhanced risk level” of three out of five. 

The current threat of storms comes after 

 events unfolded across the U.S., ranging from 

News of drastically warming ocean temperatures

record-breaking monthly average temperatures

 illustrates the real-time impact of climate change.   

Weather and Climate News

Homepage

Emily Olson

Author

A severe summer storm system swept from Alabama to New York on Monday, leaving a trail of toppled trees, damaged buildings and transportation headaches in its wake. 

Powerful storms killed 2 people and left more than 1 million customers without power

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox