Severe Weather Likely To Hit Storm-Ridden Southeast US

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A weather system moving east across the southern United States is threatening to bring more dangerous weather to areas affected by tornadoes and other severe weather last week, according to forecasters.

A significant risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes extends from Wednesday into Wednesday night and includes areas from east Texas to the Florida Panhandle and even as far north as southern Illinois.

The area of greatest concern to forecasters stretches from central Louisiana, throughout Mississippi, east to Birmingham and Montgomery in Alabama and north to the western parts of Tennessee. This area is considered at "moderate risk" for severe weather Wednesday, the second-highest of five risk levels on the Storm Prediction Center's scale. More than 8.2 million people live in the area of moderate risk, according to AccuWeather.

A band surrounding the area of moderate risk is at "enhanced risk" on SPC's scale, which includes western Louisiana, eastern Arkansas, parts of southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky, central Tennessee, east Alabama and part of the Florida Panhandle.

Even outside of direct impact from tornadoes, the strongest storms in those areas could produce gusts of 90 mph, according AccuWeather meteorologists. The storms also could produce tornadoes of EF2 or greater on the damage scale.

Thunderstorms are expected to affect cities including Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis on Wednesday morning, and severe weather will continue into the afternoon for Baton Rouge, New Orleans and parts of Mississippi. The storm system will likely reach Alabama by Wednesday evening and move across the state overnight, forecasters said.

New Orleans is under threat again a week after an EF3 tornado hit Arabi, a suburb of the city, killing one person, injuring multiple others and causing destruction to houses.

"It is likely that the severe thunderstorms will move eastward at a swift pace Wednesday night and could be racing along at 50 mph or more," AccuWeather meteorologist Ryan Adamson said in a report. "This fast motion may not allow people in the path of the storms much time to react and take shelter."

Though the fast-moving nature of the storm does mitigate major flood chances, there is still some risk of flooding from heavy rainfall, especially in flood-prone areas, according to forecasters.