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Storms Target Parts of the U.S. as Flood Risks and Travel Disruptions Mount

Thunderstorms are set to keep battering parts of the United States on Wednesday and Thursday, with severe wind, hail and flooding on the list of

By matthew jonathan

September 30, 20262 min read

Storms Target Parts of the U.S. as Flood Risks and Travel Disruptions Mount. (AI Illustration)

Thunderstorms are set to keep battering parts of the United States on Wednesday and Thursday, with severe wind, hail and flooding on the list of risks from Nebraska to New York City. The pattern is already disrupting travel and has triggered fresh alerts from weather and emergency officials.

Chicago hit first, more storms follow

In the Chicago area, a severe-weather alert remained in place Wednesday after storms swept through earlier in the week, including tornado warnings in LaSalle County and severe thunderstorm warnings across much of the region. Those warnings have since expired, but the day stayed under a Level 1 risk for severe weather, with the south and southwest suburbs facing a Level 2 threat.

The main danger there was strong wind, with the storm window running from late morning into mid-afternoon. Airport operations also felt the impact: ground stops at Midway and O'Hare were lifted, though delays were still running about an hour at O'Hare and around 30 minutes at Midway. More than 60 flights had already been canceled at O'Hare.

New York braces for heavy rain

New York City Emergency Management issued a travel advisory for Thursday as rain and thunderstorms threatened heavy downpours and damaging wind gusts. A flood watch covered the city from noon to 11 p.m., and the broader tri-state area saw storms warnings and watches posted through the day.

Flooding has already started to interfere with transit on Staten Island, where commuters were warned to expect delays and service changes on Staten Island Railway. City officials activated the Flash Flood Plan Wednesday morning and put the Downed Tree Task Force on alert for possible cleanup work. Residents were urged to allow extra time and check conditions before heading out.

Severe weather and fire danger elsewhere

In Nebraska, forecasters said severe storms could hit parts of the area Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with a Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect for part of central and eastern Nebraska until 4 p.m. Wednesday. Large hail up to ping-pong-ball size and wind gusts as high as 70 mph were possible, while the tornado threat remained very low.

Farther west, western and central Oregon faced a mix of dry and wet thunderstorms Wednesday, with a severe thunderstorm warning in place for Linn and Lane counties until 4 p.m. The bigger concern there was wildfire. The Storm Prediction Center warned that dry and windy conditions could help new lightning-sparked fires spread fast, and it placed part of the region under an elevated wildfire risk for Thursday because of gusty winds and low humidity.

In California’s Yosemite region, forecasters warned of strong thunderstorms with gusts up to 40 mph and pea-sized hail, while lightning could strike miles from the storm core. Officials advised anyone outdoors to move inside quickly if storms approached. More alerts could follow as the weather pattern stays active.