Central US braces for monster hail, EF-3 tornadoes as level 3 risk issued

The central United States is about to be hit with another round of severe weather from Friday, April 17.

The catastrophic weather conditions threaten more than 50 million people as strong tornadoes, “monster” hail, and hurricane-force wind gusts are approaching, while parts of Michigan and Wisconsin remain underwater from historic flooding.

As per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center, level 3 risk is issued across a 700-mile corridor from Oklahoma City through Kansas City to La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The Chicago metro area is also on the radar.

According to forecasters, there are possibilities of supercell thunderstorms that can cause EF-3 tornadoes, with winds up to 165 mph, across parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northeast Iowa.

The same storm can cause “monster” hailstones that can be larger than three inches in diameter.

The week’s weather has brought its fair share of chaos. On Tuesday, an EF3 tornado, with 140-mph wind speeds, hit Union Center, Wisconsin, destroying many homes and rendering roads unusable.

Over three dozen reports of tornadoes and over 300 reports of large hail, including softball-sized hail, have been logged from Monday to today.

At the same time, the region of the Great Lakes is hit with “unprecedented” flooding.

In more than 20 locations, rivers in Michigan and Wisconsin have surged to major or record levels.