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Severe Weather Lashes East Coast as Texas Braces for Hail Texas Braces for Winds and Hail as Severe Weather Lashes East Coast
(about 1 hour later)
Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall were expected to lash parts of the East Coast states and Gulf Coast on Friday, and large population centers in Texas were under threat of large hail and damaging winds, forecasters said. Tornadoes, hail the size of baseballs and possible hurricane-strength winds threatened to sweep through parts of central Texas on Friday, while a spate of severe weather with thunderstorms stretched along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast states, forecasters said.
The severe weather will extend into the weekend as the storms move northeast, tapering off early on Sunday. It came after at least three tornadoes hit Florida late on Thursday, with the worst of them striking just before 4 p.m. in the unincorporated community of Hosford, Fla., about 30 miles west of Tallahassee, said Wright Dobbs, a meteorologist with the Weather Service. Destructive hail possibly three or more inches in size and wind gusts that could intensify to more than 75 miles per hour were bearing down on north-central and central Texas in the late afternoon and evening on Friday, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said.
On Friday, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were assessing the extent of the destruction in Hosford overnight, identifying residential areas and roads that were damaged by the tornadoes and areas needing debris removal. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but homes were damaged and trees and power lines downed, according to local officials. A few tornadoes could be in the mix, from north-central Texas, into the southwestern part of the state and portions of the Rio Grande Valley, the forecast desk, in College Park, Md., predicted.
Much of eastern Texas was under a risk of severe thunderstorms, forecasters at the National Weather Service forecast desk in College Park, Md., predicted on Friday. Large population centers including the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin metropolitan areas could expect damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes. Large population centers including the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas could expect damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes.
In Texas, the storms that could produce hail the size of a hen egg or larger are rolling in just two days after softball-size hail battered parts of the state.
On Friday, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are expected to sweep across a broad swath of states along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast and last through Sunday, the Weather Service said. The multiple rounds of moderate-to-heavy rainfall will last through Sunday morning, tracking northeast through the Mid-Atlantic on Friday, it said. Along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast on Friday, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are expected to sweep across a broad swath of states, the Weather Service said. The multiple rounds of moderate-to-heavy rainfall will last through Sunday morning, tracking northeast through the Mid-Atlantic on Friday, it said.
Areas from Northern Virginia through New Jersey could get up to 2 inches of rainfall, though some areas could get 3 inches or more, meteorologists said.Areas from Northern Virginia through New Jersey could get up to 2 inches of rainfall, though some areas could get 3 inches or more, meteorologists said.
Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are not uncommon at this time of year. Less common, however, was the large hail reported across the region in the past several days, said Richard Bann, a meteorologist with the Weather Service forecast desk in College Park. “That’s unusual,” he said. The severe weather came after at least three tornadoes hit Florida late Thursday, the worst of them striking just before 4 p.m. in the unincorporated community of Hosford, Fla., about 30 miles west of Tallahassee, said Wright Dobbs, a meteorologist with the Weather Service.
On Friday, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were assessing the extent of the destruction in Hosford overnight, identifying residential areas and roads that were damaged by the tornadoes and in need debris removal. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but homes were damaged and trees and power lines downed, according to local officials.
Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are not uncommon at this time of year. Less common, however, was the large hail that was reported across the region in the past several days, said Richard Bann, a meteorologist with the Weather Service forecast desk in College Park. “That’s unusual,” he said.
In Texas, the storms were rolling in just two days after softball-size hail battered parts of the state.
In Florida, Thursday’s spate of tornadoes has also been a repeat of severe weather, after damaging weather and torrential rain inundated the state earlier this month.In Florida, Thursday’s spate of tornadoes has also been a repeat of severe weather, after damaging weather and torrential rain inundated the state earlier this month.
Images posted to social media appeared to show downed trees and crumpled rooftops in Hosford. About 50 miles southwest, in the city of Lynn Haven, residents reported golf ball-size hail that smashed into their homes and cars. Trees and roofs had also been damaged, an operator with the Lynn Haven Police Department said by phone. Images posted to social media appeared to show downed trees and crumpled rooftops in Hosford. About 50 miles southwest, in the city of Lynn Haven, residents reported golf ball-size hail had smashed into their homes and cars. Trees and roofs had also been damaged, an operator with the Lynn Haven Police Department said by phone.
Close to 20,000 customers were without power late on Thursday, and by Friday morning, a few thousand remained without service, according to poweroutage.us.
Sarah Kirkland Marler, a resident, said that she had sheltered in the bathroom during the worst of the storm, which dented both of her family’s vehicles and shattered the windshields.Sarah Kirkland Marler, a resident, said that she had sheltered in the bathroom during the worst of the storm, which dented both of her family’s vehicles and shattered the windshields.
“It had been really still, real kind of almost eerie, and then all of a sudden the wind picked up out of nowhere,” Ms. Kirkland Marler said, adding that the storm had downed power poles and lines, as well as fences and carports in her neighborhood. “It had been really still, real kind of almost eerie, and then all of a sudden the wind picked up out of nowhere,” Ms. Kirkland Marler said
On Thursday afternoon, a 33-year-old man was seriously injured after being struck by lightning on a pier in Panama City Beach, Fla., the city’s Police Department said in a statement.On Thursday afternoon, a 33-year-old man was seriously injured after being struck by lightning on a pier in Panama City Beach, Fla., the city’s Police Department said in a statement.
Judson Jones contributed reporting.Judson Jones contributed reporting.