Gusty, drenching storms threaten to cause travel delays from Michigan to Texas on Thursday

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

May 11,2016; 11:01PM,EDT

 

 

Following a multiple-day outbreak of severe weather in the central United States, storms from Michigan to Texas will bring the potential for travel disruptions on Thursday and into Thursday night.
While a widespread severe weather outbreak is not anticipated on Thursday, the storms will bring the potential for strong wind gusts, blinding downpours and hail.

Motorists should be prepared for sudden changes in visibility and should turn on headlights and slow down during heavy rain to reduce the risk of hydroplaning. Never drive through flooded roadways.
Airline passengers should anticipate delays as storms approach major airports from Detroit to Pittsburgh; Cincinnati, Ohio, to Nashville and Dallas, as well as secondary airports in parts of the Midwest, lower Mississippi Valley and the southern Plains.
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During Thursday, locally heavy, gusty thunderstorms will overlap areas hit by flash flooding in Kentucky and Tennessee from Wednesday and also extend into parts of the Carolinas.
The storms on Thursday will be at their peak from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. local time, when the risk of frequent lightning strikes, damaging wind gusts, sporadic power outages and flash flooding will be greatest.
The risk of heavy, gusty and disruptive thunderstorms will extend to parts of the Atlantic Seaboard and northeastern Gulf Coast on Friday.
Areas from southern Virginia and eastern Maryland to the Carolinas, Georgia, southern Alabama, northern Florida and southeastern Louisiana have the potential for strong storms prior to the end of the week.