(NEW YORK) — A major cross-country storm is moving east, bringing severe thunderstorms to the South on Mardi Gras Day before heading to the East Coast on Wednesday.
More than 400,000 customers lost power in Texas on Tuesday morning.
Damage was reported in Irving, Texas, near Dallas, and winds gusted to 62 mph near Abilene, Texas, as the storm blew through in the morning.
In Oklahoma, residents woke up to a tornado, wind gusts over 80 mph and flash flooding.
Now, the storm moves east, with a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma until 11 a.m. local time. A tornado watch extends south through Arkansas, northern Louisiana and eastern Texas though 3 p.m. local time.
On Tuesday afternoon, the severe thunderstorms will reach Jackson, Mississippi, and New Orleans as Mardi Gras celebrations culminate in a final day of festivities on Fat Tuesday. Parades in the area have been canceled or moved earlier due to the weather.
Tornadoes and damaging winds will be the biggest threat, but flash flooding is also possible.
The thunderstorms will hit Alabama after 8 p.m. and then Atlanta overnight.
By Wednesday, the storm system will move to the East Coast, bringing heavy rain and damaging winds from Georgia to New York.
Tornadoes are possible in the Carolinas and southern Virginia.
Meanwhile, a blizzard warning is in effect for six states from Colorado to Minnesota, where a combination of snow and gusty winds could create dangerous whiteout conditions on the roads.
A winter storm warning was issued for Wisconsin and Michigan, where some areas could see up to 1 to 2 feet of snow from Tuesday through Wednesday evening.
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