Millions in Washington, Philadelphia, New York City face severe weather threat as storms target I-95 corridor

Severe storms possible in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York Thursday

Severe storms are possible in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York Thursday afternoon. The primary threat is damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph. 

WASHINGTON – Washington, Philadelphia, New York City and other heavily populated areas across the Interstate 95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast are expected to see potentially damaging severe weather Thursday, part of a sprawling threat that covers more than 134 million people.

Warm temperatures and high humidity across the region will set the stage for thunderstorms to fire Thursday afternoon, threatening the evening commute with damaging wind gusts of 60 mph.

These storms will be driven by a low-pressure system moving out of the Midwest, Great Lakes and Ohio Valley where a derecho left a trail of destruction Wednesday. More than 93,000 power outages were reported in Indiana, and more than 73,000 have been reported in Ohio as of Thursday morning.

TORNADO DAMAGE SEEN IN OHIO VALLEY AS DERECHO KNOCK OUT POWER TO NEARLY HALF A MILLION

According to the FOX Forecast Center, a serial derecho ripped across the Ohio Valley across a 580-mile stretch from Illinois to western Pennsylvania on Wednesday. The windstorm produced reports of tornadoes in Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. A 71-mph wind gust that brought down powerlines was recorded in Owen, Indiana on Wednesday night.

WHAT IS A DERECHO?

Washington, Baltimore in bull's-eye of severe weather threat Thursday

A broad severe weather threat covers parts of the Southeast through parts of Maine on Thursday.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms covering the densely populated metro areas of Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Newark, New Jersey. Staten Island in the New York City metro area is also in the zone.

A Level 2 out of 5 threat covers the rest of New York City and a wide swath of the Northeast, as well as parts of Virginia and North Carolina to the south.

Severe thunderstorms are expected to fire up during the mid- to late-afternoon hours, threatening the evening commute and air travel at some of the country's busiest airports.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

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Damaging wind gusts are primary threat, with tornadoes possible in New York City

Damaging wind gusts of up to 60 mph are expected to be the main severe weather threat, with the greatest risk in the same area where the Level 3 out of 5 risk was issued in the mid-Atlantic.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, there is a chance of a few tornadoes from New York City north to Burlington, Vermont, closer to an area of low pressure and higher wind shear. 

Storms are expected to clear by Friday morning.

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