Severe storm outbreak poised to clobber central US during relentless week of tornadoes, hail and floods
By Dakota Smith
Published on April 17, 2026.
A new severe storm outbreak is set to hit the central US, bringing severe weather to regions already hit by tornadoes, hail, and historic flooding. The threat comes after over three dozen tornado reports and over 300 reports of hail reported from Texas to the Great Lakes earlier this week. Storms are expected from Oklahoma City to Green Bay, with the greatest threat centered in Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, eastern Iowa and northern Illinois. A new surge of jet stream energy is expected to trigger a severe storm from northern Texas to northern Wisconsin, leading to a Level 3 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms. The main threat will be from Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Des Moines, Iowa, and Springfield, Missouri. The Great Lakes are already dealing with significant flooding after repeated rounds of rain.
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