Severe storms target Midwest again, tornadoes, hail and damaging winds possible

A new round of severe storms was aimed at the Midwest Friday, with the highest threat centered from central and southwestern Wisconsin through Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center said the danger was greatest Friday afternoon into Friday night, when large hail and a few strong tornadoes were most likely early, before damaging wind gusts became the main hazard later in the day.

Forecasters said the setup was being fueled by a significant cold front, moist low-level air and several upper-level disturbances that were reloading the atmosphere for another outbreak. The enhanced-risk area also covered far southeastern Minnesota, northern and central Illinois, northern and central Missouri, eastern and southern Kansas, and northern Oklahoma. FOX Weather said the storm system could affect more than 50 million people across the Midwest and Plains beginning Friday afternoon.

The latest threat landed after several days of disruptive and destructive weather across the central United States. More than 1,100 storm reports came in from Monday through Wednesday alone, including large hail, wind gusts above 60 mph and tornadoes. Damage surveys were still under way to determine the exact number of tornadoes from the week’s outbreak.

The impacts were already severe in Wisconsin and neighboring states. FOX Weather reported that more than 65,000 utility customers in Michigan and Wisconsin were without power on April 15, while flooding shut down Interstate 43 South in Milwaukee and led officials to warn that northbound lanes could also close. In Michigan, rising river levels prompted concern near the Cheboygan County Lock and Dam.

The week also turned deadly. Waukesha police said a man in his 40s died after an apparent lightning strike on Wednesday evening in a parking lot. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared a state of emergency on April 15 in response to severe storms, record rainfall, flooding and power outages, and the Wisconsin State Emergency Operations Center was elevated to Level 2 to help state agencies and local partners respond.

Meteorologists said the pattern was unusually persistent for mid-April, with repeated rounds of heavy rain, tornadoes and very large hail keeping much of the region on alert. With another outbreak lining up Friday, the Midwest was facing not just another warning, but a compounding stretch of storm damage that had already strained power systems, roads and emergency crews across the region.