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Severe storms disrupting Memorial Day travel plans
Severe storms could pose some serious problems for people traveling this Memorial Day weekend.
A series of storms is expected to unleash dangerous weather conditions across the central and eastern U.S. through Memorial Day weekend, likely snarling traffic and delaying flights during one of busiest travel periods of the year.
The persistent threat of severe weather comes on the heels of deadly storms that, since last week, have ravaged the Texas cities of Houston and Temple, as well as Greenfield, Iowa. Over the last week, at least nine deaths, dozens of injuries and millions of dollars in damages have been tied to the nonstop severe weather outbreak.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop Friday over a large swath of the country, from Texas to Michigan and as far east as Georgia and the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service. The greatest potential for a few tornadoes is across Illinois, eastern Iowa and southern Wisconsin, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Through the holiday weekend, strong storms will keep a constant threat of tornadoes across the Plains and Midwest regions, which for the last several weeks have been battered by potent and deadly storms. On Saturday, meteorologists expect a few supercells, the most powerful thunderstorm type, to develop over the central and southern Plains, hitting Kansas, Oklahoma and western Missouri with the worst conditions, the weather service said.
The storms are forecast to shifts northeast on Sunday, bringing severe thunderstorms over parts of eastern Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. A much larger area of the Midwest and south-central U.S. was also in the crosshairs of the storm system. By Monday, meteorologists expect the poor weather to expand into the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.
“Thunderstorms this weekend will not only threaten outdoor events such as weddings, barbeques and camping trips, but they can be dangerous across the Great Plains to the East Coast,” according to AccuWeather.
Over 43 million people to travel during stormy holiday weekend
With the unofficial start to summer meeting a ferocious stretch of severe weather, travelers across the central and eastern U.S. may experience delays on the road and at the airport.
Nearly 44 million people will travel 50 miles or more over the Memorial Day holiday travel period, which is from Friday, May 23 to Monday, May 27, according to projections from The American Automobile Association. Over 38 million people will travel by car, while more than 3.5 million will take flights.
“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “We’re projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”
On Thursday, storms forced officials to temporarily ground flights at New York City’s two major airports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Hundreds of flights were delayed across the mid-Atlantic, including at airports in Boston, New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Cleanup, recovery underway in the aftermath of devastating storms
Across the central U.S., construction crews, utility workers, emergency responders and residents worked to clear the immense wreckage left in the wake of recent storms.
In Greenfield, Iowa, dozens of volunteers joined authorities from around the state to assist in the recovery after the town was decimated Tuesday afternoon by a powerful tornado. The storm left at least four people dead, 35 injured and over 150 homes damaged or destroyed.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said at the news conference Thursday that the response has been remarkable. “I was on the ground yesterday and I can’t even tell you the amount of debris that has been collected and hauled off,” she said.
In Houston, authorities worked to repair buildings that were damaged by storms that barreled through the city on May 16, killing at least eight people and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. The city’s emergency management office said several roads will be closed through the weekend as waste management workers continue collecting storm debris.
Contributing: Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY; José Mendiola, Des Moines Register
