Tornadoes and storms leave 22 dead as East Coast faces severe weather

Severe weather stretching from the Midwest to the East Coast disrupted pool parties and travel plans for millions of people on Monday, the end of Memorial Day weekend and one of the nation’s busiest travel days.

Flights from Atlanta to Boston experienced delays and ground stops as severe weather, including heavy rain, potentially damaging winds and hail, moved into much of the eastern United States Monday afternoon. Parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were under a severe storm watch.

The unrest came after a weekend when storms and tornadoes killed at least 22 people from Texas to Virginia and left hundreds of thousands without power.

Federal Aviation Administration officials said they worked with airlines to plan for the expected weather. By midday Monday, New York City’s LaGuardia Airport was reporting average ground delays of 100 minutes, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, was reporting departure delays due to severe thunderstorms.

Ground stops and significant delays are also expected at airports in Chicago, Virginia, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and Cleveland due to the storms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

In Kentucky, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency on Monday morning after four people were killed over the weekend. More than 150,000 customers in the state lost power at midday after strong winds.

Elsewhere, a tornado left at least seven dead in North Texas, including two children, ages 2 and 5. Eight people were killed in Arkansas and two died in Oklahoma when severe storms swept through the region, flattening hundreds of buildings and destroying homes. . Officials said severe thunderstorms in Virginia killed at least one person.

Thousands more were without power in the South and Midwest on Monday, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us.

Later Monday, severe thunderstorms are expected from Texas to New York, the National Weather Service said. The Storm Prediction Center said. Flash flooding was possible from Maryland to the Catskill Mountains in New York, The weather service saidHurricanes were possible in the mid-Atlantic region.

This was the latest system to hit the region over the past few days. Five people died and part of an Iowa city was destroyed last week after a powerful tornado touched down.

President Biden issued a statement of condolence to those affected by the storms, thanking emergency responders for their work.

“Jill and I pray for those who tragically lost their lives as a result of the devastating tornadoes that tore through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, flattening entire communities and leaving a path of devastation in their wake,” Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Biden said the federal government “stands ready to provide support as needed.” He noted that the Memorial Day weekend storms came just weeks after counties in the Midwest and South had recovered from severe weather.

Severe thunderstorms in Howell County, Missouri, on Sunday produced hail the size of baseballs and tornadoes that toppled trees and damaged homes near the town of Mountain View, said Kelsey Angel, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield.

In Kentucky, Governor Beshear deployed the National Guard to help state foresters remove fallen trees and hazardous debris. He activated the state’s price gouging law to prevent price hikes for essential supplies, and said he believes the state will qualify for public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Emergency workers reported rising water, downed trees and other dangerous conditions in about a third of Kentucky’s 120 counties, most of them in the western part of the state, Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said at a news conference. The storms also affected nearly 100 state highways.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott son fire Serious air disaster a permit Which covered 106 provinces. Officials estimate that nearly 100 people were injured over the weekend, more than 200 homes were destroyed and more than 220 buildings were damaged.