Handful of Violent Storms Threaten the South

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

December 17,2012; 6:20AM,EST

While a large part of the South welcomes beneficial rain into Monday, a handful of communities will become the target of violent thunderstorms.

The stage is set for locally severe thunderstorms to erupt south of the band of rain slowly pressing eastward across the South and helping to ease the region's drought.

The severe weather threat exists from far north-central Florida to southeastern North Carolina on Monday. Albany, Augusta and Savannah, Ga., Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Wilmington, N.C., are among the communities at risk.
The strongest thunderstorms will be capable of producing damaging winds and flooding downpours. Isolated reports of hail and tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists want to stress that an outbreak of severe weather is not expected into Monday. Any violent thunderstorms will instead erupt on a localized level with the South receiving beneficial rain the main weather story.
All severe weather warnings should still be taken seriously since it only takes one powerful thunderstorm or tornado to inflict damage on a family or community.
Wednesday night into Thursday is when a more widespread outbreak of damaging thunderstorms and tornadoes may threaten the South, from the same storm set to unleash substantial snow over the Midwest.
Stay tuned to AccuWeather.com for more details on the impending midweek violent storms.
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