Tens of millions of Americans across the South and lower Mississippi Valley are at risk of being struck by storms Tuesday and Wednesday, with large hail and the potential for strong tornadoes, as heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous thunderstorms began Monday in an area from Texas to Alabama. More than 30 million people are at risk for storms on Tuesday, according to the prediction center. There were 9 million people in eastern Texas and western Louisiana who had an enhanced risk of severe weather. The prediction center said that areas further out had less risk. Flood watches are in effect for much of the region until Wednesday evening. The National Weather Service warned that there will likely be flash flooding and minor to moderate river flooding in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana due to several rounds of heavy rain. The weather service said up to 10 inches of rain could fall in some areas just west of Jackson. Greg Abbott instructed the emergency management division of the state to mobilize emergency response resources ahead of the severe weather and urged the thousands of Americans who poured into the state to watch the solar eclipse to heed the warnings from officials. The solar eclipse music and arts festival was canceled in central Texas because of the weather forecast. The organizers of the festival are urging attendees to leave the grounds early on Monday because of the storms. The Fort Worth forecasters said there was a high chance of storms with large hail and strong winds as well as a moderate threat of tornadoes.
The threat of severe storms stretches from eastern Louisiana to western Alabama and includes Baton Rouge and Jackson, according to the prediction center. There is an enhanced threat of severe weather for Wednesday in western Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, including New Orleans and Mobile. The prediction center warned of the potential for both many tornadoes and widespread damaging wind swaths with embedded severe gusts. There are isolated tornadoes and damaging winds in western Georgia, as well as in eastern Texas. A marginal, or level 1 of 5, threat of severe weather stretches from central Texas to western Georgia. The Weather Prediction Center said there was a threat of excessive rain that could cause flooding in eastern Mississippi and central and southern Alabama. The threat of storms in the Ohio Valley will intensify by Thursday as the severe storm threat moves further into the Southeast. The most severe conditions are expected across the Appalachian Mountains as the flood threat on Thursday spans from the Southeast to New England.