...
By Joe Edwards and Toby Meyjes
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Tornado watches from the National Weather Service (NWS) are in effect for four states as of early Wednesday morning—affecting residents in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
In Indiana, dozens of counties are affected by the alert including Adams, Clark, Franklin, Putnam, Union, and Wells.
Several southeast Illinois counties are also under watch, including Clark, Crawford, Jasper, Lawrence, and Wayne.
Read More on News
Ohio counties include but are not limited to Allen, Butler, Hamilton, and Shelby, while several Kentucky counties near the border with Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois are also affected by the watch.
As of reporting, the watches are in place until 12 p.m. EDT.
A tornado watch was issued for Arkansas days after the state was reportedly hit by its first confirmed tornado of 2026.
According to the NWS, alerts, now expired, were in place until 5AM CDT Wednesday for at least 14 counties including Pope, Yell, Marion, Searcy, Pike, Montgomery, Conway, Faulkner, Garland, Perry, Baxter, Cleburne, Stone and Van Buren.
These alerts signify that tornadoes could develop within the watch area and in nearby locations.
It comes after an EF-2 tornado struck the state early Saturday, injuring one person, according to local news outlet KARK.
The NWS forecast office in Little Rock, Arkansas said in a social media post early Wednesday morning that the primary hazards would be damaging winds, with the possibility of a few tornadoes, along with a “low” threat for large hail.
Arkansas Tech University said a tornado warning was issued earlier Wednesday morning for an area that included the Arkansas Tech University campus in Russellville, though this expired by 3:15, it said.
Tornado warnings are issued when a tornado has either been spotted or detected on radar.
...
The tornado watch for Arkansas comes after tornadoes damaged communities in Illinois and Indiana on Tuesday, with multiple homes destroyed and power lines downed.
According to the NWS, isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms are forecast from the Ark-La-Tex region northeast through to the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday.
The agency cautioned that the storms could bring “heavy to excessive rain that could pose a flooding threat from east Texas into Upstate New York.”
In an email sent to Newsweek on Tuesday, forecasters at AccuWeather said that the risk for severe storms will span more than a dozen states from eastern Texas to Pennsylvania on Wednesday and into Wednesday night. Large hail, 60–70 mph wind gusts, and a few tornadoes are possible as the system shifts toward the Great Lakes, it said.
Storms may continue into the Southeast on Thursday, potentially bringing heavy rain, pockets of damaging winds, and hail, AccuWeather added.
The outlet also said that flash‑flooding concerns would accompany multiple rounds of storms sweeping across the Plains and Ohio Valley, where early‑March rainfall has already left soils saturated, and that rivers and streams could rise even more during this unsettled stretch.
Update, 6:52 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and a new headline.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines