Severe storms knock out power to over half a million customers on Thursday
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) highlighted cities in the Plains, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Carolinas for having the best chance of seeing severe weather and the forecasts delivered with nearly 500 reports of severe weather.
Nearly 30 million Americans under Severe Thunderstorm Watches
Storms have the potential to produce damaging winds, hail and heavy rainfall on Thursday.
A series of frontal boundaries around the country were the focal point of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday, which turned severe for millions from the Northeast to southern Plains.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) highlighted cities in the Plains, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Carolinas for having the best chance of seeing severe weather and the forecasts delivered with nearly 500 reports of severe weather.
Communities still cleaning up from Wednesday’s active weather were included in the threat zones. An EF-3 tornado tore through eastern North Carolina, causing extensive damage to a major Pfizer processing facility.
North Carolina tornado causes widespread damages near Dortches
Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone tells FOX Weather the state and community are working to recover after a violent tornado ripped through parts of I-95 and a Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in Rocky Mount. A preliminary report from the National Weather Service found damages consistent with at least an EF-2 tornado.
And in western Kentucky, a Flood Emergency was declared after rainfall amounts topped 10 inches around the hard-hit town of Mayfield.
Despite the extreme weather, no fatalities were reported from either of the events
EF-3 TORNADO CAUSES EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A PFIZER MEDICINE PROCESSING FACILITY IN NORTH CAROLINA
(FOX Weather)
Power outages top half a million across more than a dozen states
During the height of the severe storms more than 500,000 outages were reported by data provided by PowerOutage.us. Georgia, Michigan and Ohio topped the list of hardest hit states on Thursday, with wind gusts damaging trees and power lines.
A wind gust is considered to severe when the speed reaches at least 58 mph, and the SPC received more than 150 reports of high winds and damage on Thursday.
Power outages across U.S. as of Thursday evening.
(FOX Weather)
Georgia Power considered damage to be significant, and advised its customers that crews were busy repairing lines in eastern and northern part of the Peach State.
There were several reports of trees and power lines down around Athens, Georgia.
![Georgia Power storm damage]()
Image 1 of 3Trees and power lines down across the Peach State. (Georgia Power)
![Georgia Power storm damage]()
Image 2 of 3Trees and power lines down across the Peach State. (Georgia Power)
![Georgia Power storm damage]()
Image 3 of 3Trees and power lines down across the Peach State. (Georgia Power)
LIFE-THREATENING FLOODING PUMMELS WESTERN KENTUCKY, SUBMERGING HOMES AND STRANDING RESIDENTS
Large hail damages homes and vehicles in central Michigan
Residents of Genesee County, Michigan, said a storm that pummeled the community with large hail on Thursday damaged nearly every car in sight.
Photos and videos showed damage to roofs and cracked windows on many vehicles.
Hail was estimated to be the size of tennis balls or even baseballs during the severe storm.
Large hail damages homes, vehicles in Michigan
Michigan residents were stunned by the largest hailstorm ever witnessed in town of Davison during Thursday's severe storms.