JACKSON, Miss.—Massive storms brewing over 10 states in the Midwest and southern U.S. on Friday have meteorologists urging people to brace for dangerous weather including tornadoes, saying the conditions are similar to those a week ago that unleashed a devastating twister that killed at least 21 people in Mississippi.
Roughly 89 million people were under weather advisories Friday morning as the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center forecast an unusually large outbreak of thunderstorms with the potential to cause hail, damaging wind gusts, and strong tornadoes that could move for long distances over the ground.
The major population centers at greatest risk for storms starting Friday afternoon include St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock and Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But people throughout eastern Iowa, western and northern Illinois, and Arkansas should also be prepared, said Northern Illinois meteorology professor and tornado expert Victor Gensini….