Millions prepare for severe storms in the Midwest and South

Another round of dangerous weather is expected to hit parts of the Midwest Monday and areas in the Southeast on Tuesday, as recovery efforts continue following a deadly bout of severe weather that affected multiple states over the weekend, resulting in at least 27 fatalities.

“A maturing central U.S. storm system is expected to produce another round of dangerous severe weather and instances of flash flooding today, with an emphasis on eastern Oklahoma into the Ozarks,” the National Weather Service said. “From a broader perspective, an expansive area of moderate to locally heavy rain is forecast to extend from the northern Plains to North Texas …”

Potentially millions of people in central and eastern Oklahoma and far northwest Arkansas are at risk from numerous severe thunderstorms expected Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The agency has classified the threat level of these storms as a 4 out of 5 risk.

These storms are likely to rapidly intensify in scale and become severe, producing strong and damaging wind gusts, large hail and powerful tornadoes. Oklahoma City, Tulsa and other areas in Oklahoma and Kansas are expected to be at the highest risk by mid-afternoon on Monday, according to the forecast from the Storm Prediction Center.

This comes on the heels of powerful storms and tornadoes that swept through the South and Midwest overnight last Friday. In hard-hit Kentucky, the National Weather Service estimates a tornado with winds reaching approximately 150 miles per hour winds destroyed several buildings. At least 19 people have died with the death toll rising by one after the confirmation of a woman’s death, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced. Ten people remain hospitalized due to storm-related injuries from the storm, Beshear said.

Redeemer Lutheran Church is damaged, Sunday, May 18, 2025, along Highway 27 in Somerset, Ky., after a severe storm passed through the area. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Redeemer Lutheran Church is damaged, Sunday, May 18, 2025, along Highway 27 in Somerset, Ky., after a severe storm passed through the area. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (Carolyn Kaster/AP | AP)

Residents are currently working to clear debris from collapsed buildings and homes, and trying to patch up damage where they can, while bracing for the possibility of another storm.

As the severe weather moves out of Oklahoma and Kansas overnight on Monday, it is expected to shift further east into the Mississippi Valley, Ohio and Tennessee valleys and into Kentucky by Tuesday.

Western Kentucky and Tennessee as well as northern Mississippi and Alabama, face the greatest threats for severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall, the National Weather Service said.

 

Why farmers in California are backing a giant solar farm

Many farmers have had to fallow land as a state law comes into effect limiting their access to water. There's now a push to develop some of that land… into solar farms.

Civil rights leaders say the racial progress Jesse Jackson fought for is under threat

Activists say racial progress won by the Rev. Jesse Jackson is under threat, as a new generation of leaders works to preserve hard-fought civil rights gains.

Can’t get a prescription renewed? Here’s how to cope with prior authorizations

These health care hurdles can stand in the way of getting treatment your doctor says you need. Here's what to know about how to deal with them.

‘Get back to integrity’: Oklahoma’s Kevin Stitt on Republicans after Trump

NPR's Steve Inskeep asks Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt about his spat with President Trump, immigration and the future of the Republican Party.

Tariffs cost American shoppers. They’re unlikely to get that money back

After the Supreme Court declared the emergency tariffs illegal, the refund process will be messy and will go to businesses first.

Every business wants your review. What’s with the feedback frenzy?

Customers want to read reviews and businesses need reviews to attract customers. But the constant demand for reviews could be creating a feedback backlash, experts say.

More Front Page Coverage