Multi-day severe storm outbreak builds toward dangerous peak Monday

CNN

By Meteorologist Briana Waxman

(CNN) — Parts of the Midwest, including much of Illinois and Missouri, could face a threat of intense, EF3 or stronger, tornadoes Monday as a multi-day severe weather outbreak enters what could be its most dangerous phase yet.

Widespread damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes also threaten nearly 40 million people across a broader zone from the Mississippi Valley into the lower Ohio Valley Monday.

The threat comes after days of severe weather have already carved a destructive path across parts of the Plains and South, producing more than 50 tornado reports since Thursday. These include a violent, preliminarily rated EF4 tornado in Enid, Oklahoma, deadly tornadoes in North Texas and multiple Particularly Dangerous Situation tornado warnings Sunday evening.

Two rounds of storms raise the stakes Monday

A Level 3 of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms is in place Monday from parts of the middle Mississippi Valley into the lower Ohio Valley, including all of central and southern Illinois and portions of Missouri, western Indiana, western Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee.

While this corridor may hold the most likely environment for the strongest storms, the precise location of the greatest tornado potential could depend in part on how morning thunderstorms shape the atmosphere ahead of further storms in the afternoon and evening.

The first wave of thunderstorms still had plenty of power left in them Monday morning and were prompting severe thunderstorm, tornado and even flash flood warnings. Flooding reports were popping up across Kansas City before sunrise as well as in Topeka, Kansas.

Monday’s supercells later this afternoon may be capable of producing a few potentially intense EF3 or stronger tornadoes and hail up to baseball size or larger. As storms evolve through the evening, the line could produce widespread damaging winds, though embedded circulations could continue to pose a tornado risk.

The severe system pushes east Tuesday, with a somewhat lower, but still significant, Level 2 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms from the southern Plains through the Mid-South and into the lower Ohio Valley.

Destructive wind gusts are likely to be the most widespread threat, especially from northeast Texas to the Lower-Mississippi Valley.

Relentless storms battered the central US this week

A violent tornado tore through Enid, Oklahoma, Thursday evening, triggering a rare tornado emergency and causing EF4 damage in parts of the city, with some areas flattened.

The Enid tornado, with winds estimated at 170 to 175 mph, was the strongest in the US since June 2025. At least 10 people were injured and about 40 homes were damaged, though officials said no deaths were reported.

Deadly tornadoes struck North Texas Saturday, including an EF2 tornado near Runaway Bay, about 80 miles northwest of Dallas. At least two people were killed and homes and infrastructure were damaged, displacing dozens of residents and expanding the toll of the multi-day severe weather outbreak.

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Meteorologists Mary Gilbert and Linda Lam and CNN’s Diego Mendoza contributed to this report.