Over 1,000 flights canceled as severe weather targets East Coast
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on August 7, 2023
(NEW YORK) — Over 1,100 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday as severe storms target the East Coast.
Cities seeing major impacts at airports include Atlanta, New York City, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Boston. The Federal Aviation Administration said thunderstorms are also expected to impact airports in Memphis, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
In Washington, D.C., federal employees, including at the White House and the Pentagon, have been instructed to leave work early Monday afternoon due to the weather.
The main threats Monday afternoon and evening are tornadoes and destructive winds.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. A tornado watch is stretching across 11 states from Tennessee to West Virginia to Pennsylvania to New Jersey.
By 6 p.m. ET, the storms will be slamming Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, and nearing Philadelphia, Raleigh and Atlanta.
The severe weather will be gone by Tuesday morning.
Over the weekend, stormy weather spawned tornadoes, triggered flash flooding, knocked out power and uprooted trees across the U.S.
Storm damage was reported from Wichita, Kansas, through central Illinois and into Birmingham, Alabama.
Torrential rainfall led to dangerous flash flooding in parts of northeastern Missouri on Friday night, including in the town of Kahoka where more than 6 inches of rain fell within 6 hours. Water rescues were reported in the area.
Golf ball-sized hail was reported in Loveland, Colorado, and Almena, Kansas, on Saturday.
More than 40,000 people were left without electricity in Alabama on Sunday as gusty winds up to 61 miles per hour brought trees crashing down on power lines.
ABC News’ Clara Mcmichael contributed to this report.
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