Map Shows 8 States That Could Have 75 mph Wind Gusts Amid Flooding
Amid this year’s holiday season travel, a Saturday AccuWeather forecast map shows which states could have 75 miles per hour wind gusts amid flooding on Sunday.
Newsweek has reached out to the National Weather Service (NWS) via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Holiday travel continues as millions of Americans head back from their Christmas destinations. A report from the American Automobile Association (AAA) predicted that more than 119 million Americans have at least 50 miles to travel for year-end holidays. Nearly 8 million Americans are expected to travel by plane.
While many people are already at their destinations, many others are preparing to set out for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day plans, and could face adverse weather.
It comes after the NWS issued a tornado watch on Friday, with authorities warning millions of people are living in areas at risk of tornado strikes over the weekend.
It is part of a wider winter storm that has caused travel disruption across parts of the Southeastern United States, with AccuWeather reporting that Houston, New Orleans, Louisiana, Nashville, Tennessee, Jackson, Mississippi, and Birmingham, Alabama, are at risk of “severe weather” on Saturday, which could include torrential rain and powerful winds.
What To Know
This weekend, a new storm system brewing over Texas is expected to intensify and sweep northeast toward the Great Lakes. AccuWeather forecasters predict heavy rainfall will pose a flash flooding threat in urban areas and near smaller streams, particularly in regions still recovering from Hurricane Helene’s devastation in late September.
Starting Sunday afternoon, storms with torrential rain and strong winds are forecast to hit portions of the Interstate 77, 81, and 85 corridors. By evening, the system is expected to shift eastward, targeting areas along Interstate 95. According to AccuWeather, the wind gusts are expected to reach 75 mph in eight states.
Major cities in eight states in the storm’s path include Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; West Virginia; Dover, Delaware; Richmond, Virginia; Bristol, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida, raising concerns about travel disruptions and potential damage across the region.
Warm, humid air is expected to fuel thunderstorms through Saturday night, with the greatest concentration of severe activity predicted from eastern Texas through central Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. States like Tennessee and south-central Kentucky are also in the crosshairs for possible severe weather, as powerful thunderstorms could form multiple lines or isolated cells capable of widespread destruction.
According to AccuWeather, the warmth and humidity, more typical of spring than late December, will create the ideal environment for severe weather.
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What People Are Saying
The NWS Storm Prediction Center said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “A severe storms outbreak is underway this morning across parts of the south-central U.S. Lead forecaster Roger Edwards briefs Lead forecaster John Hart at shift change this morning in SPC operations. Severe storms & tornadoes are expected today into tonight across the Southeast.”
NWS’ New Orleans office said in a post on X, “The potential for a significant severe weather event continues to increase for our area today and into the early morning hours tomorrow. Have a reliable way to receive warnings and please stay weather aware today!”
Atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci shared a clip of cloud movement over the southeastern U.S. on X and wrote: “You can SEE the shear – changing winds with height – on satellite. Low-level clouds rush north. Mid-level clouds fan northeast. Storms trek ENE. Storms feeling those changing winds with height will rotate. That’s why we could see a #tornado outbreak.”
What Happens Next
Residents are advised to monitor weather updates and prepare for sudden changes, as the storm’s impacts could be widespread and disruptive from the Southeast to the Mid-Atlantic.
