AccuWeather forecast severe storms Tuesday from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest, with hail, tornadoes, flash flooding and winds up to 75 mph potentially complicating voting in the midterm elections.
More than 50 million Americans had voted by Monday, The Independent reported, ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The Independent said severe weather may deter infrequent voters and lead officials to change polling locations on short notice. Texas officials had also urged voters to check their polling locations before Election Day, as EconoTimes’ polling-site guidance noted.
Flooding threatened Florida’s Space Coast Monday after storms brought 5 to 15 inches of rain between Melbourne and Fort Pierce, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Lissette Gonzalez, a CBS News Miami meteorologist, told the Miami Herald that more storms could affect South Florida Tuesday, with lighter rain than Monday.
In Arkansas, winds of up to 60 mph were the main hazard, Justin Condry of the NWS’ Little Rock office told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He said any tornadoes embedded in the storm line would likely be very small, if there were any. In Texas, The Independent’s forecast summary said a cold front was bringing showers and storms to the Houston area.
Brandon Buckingham, an AccuWeather meteorologist, expected drier weather to return to the Southwest Tuesday. He said weekend runoff could have damaged roads or caused closures, with cleanup potentially continuing. The Plains were expected to stay mostly dry, though wind remained a concern; rain or snow was possible in the Dakotas, and the NWS office in Rapid City said higher elevations of the northern Black Hills could turn to snow, with accumulation possible through Tuesday morning. The Independent’s coastal and temperature outlook called for generally dry weather on both coasts, showers in northern California and temperatures in many cities in the high 60s and 70s.
