Tornadoes and storms leave 22 dead as East Coast faces severe weather

Severe weather that stretched across the Midwest and East Coast on Monday disrupted the plans of millions of Americans trying to return home after a busy weekend that was expected to break records for Memorial Day travel. The unrest came in the wake of storms and hurricanes that killed at least 22 people in the south and left hundreds of thousands without power.

Flights at airports from Atlanta to Boston experienced delays and ground stops as severe weather, including heavy rain, wind and potentially damaging hail, moved into much of the eastern United States Monday afternoon and evening.

Parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were under a severe storm watch until late Monday. Tornado watch It was issued for an area extending from northern Maryland to eastern North Carolina, including Washington, D.C Higher temperatures and more thunderstorms are expected in Texas and the southern Plains on Tuesday, including the potential for hail and strong winds.

Federal Aviation Administration officials said they worked with airlines to plan for weather disruptions expected over Memorial Day weekend. On Friday, 2.9 million people Screened at US airports— a record for a single day, the Transportation Security Administration said.

By midday Monday, New York City’s LaGuardia Airport was reporting average ground delays of 100 minutes. Flights were also delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the world. Ground stops and significant or expected delays were reported at airports in Chicago, Virginia, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and Cleveland due to the storms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

In Kentucky, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency on Monday morning after four people were killed over the weekend. More than 150,000 customers in the state lost power at midday after strong winds.

Elsewhere, a tornado left at least seven people dead in North Texas, including two children, ages 2 and 5. Eight people were killed in Arkansas, and two died in Oklahoma, where severe storms swept through the region, flattening hundreds of buildings and destroying homes. . Officials said severe thunderstorms in Virginia killed at least one person.

Thousands more were without power in the South and Midwest on Monday, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us.

Later Monday, severe thunderstorms are expected from Texas to New York, the National Weather Service said. The Storm Prediction Center said. Flash flooding was possible from Maryland to the Catskill Mountains in New York, The weather service saidHurricanes were possible in the mid-Atlantic region.

This was the latest system to hit the region over the past few days. Five people died and part of an Iowa city was destroyed last week after a powerful tornado touched down.

President Biden issued a statement of condolence to those affected by the storms, thanking emergency responders for their work.

“Jill and I pray for those who tragically lost their lives as a result of the devastating tornadoes that tore through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, flattening entire communities and leaving a path of devastation in their wake,” Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Biden said the federal government “stands ready to provide support as needed.” He noted that the Memorial Day weekend storms came just weeks after counties in the Midwest and South had recovered from severe weather.

Severe thunderstorms in Howell County, Missouri, on Sunday produced hail the size of baseballs and tornadoes that toppled trees and damaged homes near the town of Mountain View, said Kelsey Angel, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield.

In Kentucky, Governor Beshear deployed the National Guard to help state foresters remove fallen trees and hazardous debris. He activated the state’s price gouging law to prevent price hikes for essential supplies, and said he believes the state will be eligible for public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Emergency workers reported rising water, downed trees and other dangerous conditions in about a third of Kentucky’s 120 counties, most of them in the western part of the state, Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said at a news conference. The storms also affected nearly 100 state highways.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott son fire Serious air disaster a permit Which covered 106 provinces. Officials estimate that nearly 100 people were injured over the weekend, more than 200 homes were destroyed and more than 220 buildings were damaged.

Johnny Diaz And Mike Ives Contributed to reports.