Following tornado in New Orleans, rest of the Southeast expects storms tonight, early Thursday
On Tuesday night, a tornado tore through New Orleans and its suburbs, killing one in an area that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago. As residents work on damage in that portion of the country, the Southeast –– including Savannah –– could see heavy storms on Wednesday evening and into the early hours of Thursday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, Savannah can expect showers and thunderstorms followed by more showers and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. The new rainfall could amount to between a half and three quarters of an inch.
More: NOAA reports acceleration in sea-level rise, more flooding, higher storm surges by 2050
More: Tornado strikes New Orleans: 1 reported dead outside city, search and rescue teams deployed
The NWS added that thunderstorms aren't expected on Thursday morning or evening, but showers could persist.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect heavy storms from far southern Virginia to Florida to include some flooding downpours, hail, damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes on Wednesday. This threat could extend even into Thursday along the coast.
Yesterday, about 13,000 homes and businesses were reportedly without power in the three parishes around New Orleans. Entergy reported that about 3,500 remained without electricity early Wednesday morning.
Tom Barton: The Elvis of Savannah? New hall of famer Doug Weathers retains star power at age 91
The storm front reached Georgia Wednesday morning after dumping heavy rain, downing trees and prompting multiple tornado warnings in the Deep South. The roofs of several homes were damaged in Toxey, Alabama, after tornado warnings were issued there, the National Weather Service tweeted.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Zach Dennis is the editor of the arts and culture section and weekly Do Savannah alt-weekly publication at the Savannah Morning News and can be reached at zdennis@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah GA weather: Thunderstorms expected after New Orleans tornado
